BFIRST March 2026 Newsletter 2026
01 April 2026
(Last updated: 1 May 2026 12:41)
BFIRST is a UK registered charity which trains surgeons and their teams working in low to middle income countries to enable them to undertake reconstructive Plastic Surgery independently in an equitable and sustainable manner. Treating functional disability, injury and pathology via surgical treatment helps enable restoration of independence to both adults and children thereby improving quality of life.
BFIRST also provides educational resources for Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons through our Webinar series.
In the March 2026 BFIRST newsletter we bring you up to date with our latest activities undertaken by BFIRST and hope that they inspire you to get involved!
News
Peru
This month Mr Tony Barabas, the BFIRST chair, has been in Piura, Peru, on a BFIRST badged visit. We look forward to hearing more about this visit in next month’s newsletter!
Gambia
This month, BFIRST Education, Research and Fellowship subcommittee member Mr Ahmed Emam has been in Gambia on a visit with Gammed. We look forward to hearing more about this visit in next month’s newsletter.
Zambia
Mr Earl Gardner, who has previously led a BFIRST visit to Zambia, is currently in Zambia alongside two hand therapists from South Africa. We look forward to hearing more about this visit in next month’s newsletter.
BFIRST Essay Prize
BFIRST Essay Prize (£250.00) 2026
We are delighted to announce the 2026 BFIRST Essay Prize!
The title for this year’s contest is “How can harnessing AI transform surgical care in resource-poor countries – for better or worse?”
We are looking forward to receiving your essay until 23.59 GMT, on 1 May 2026.
Please follow this link for more details!
Meet the Team
Ms Barbara Jemec: Finance, governance and policy subcommittee
Tell us about yourself!
I graduated from the University of Copenhagen Medical School, and did all my postgraduate training in the UK, apart from a Fellowship at the Plastic Surgery Department at the Royal University Hospital in Copenhagen. My training number in the Plastic Surgery Thames rotation was 007 and my research (which earned me an MD) at the Restoration of Appearance and Function Trust (RAFT) was in Dupuytren's disease. I completed this in 22 months, so I could visit the famous plastic surgeon Marco Godina's old department in Ljubljana, Slovenija, my parents' home town. My parents had immigrated to Denmark from Slovenia in the 1950's, I immigrated to the UK in the 1990's, and then I moved again, to Canada in 2021. I firmly believe that experiencing other cultures (and trust me, they are different) only broadens one's horizon.
Tell us about your time with BFIRST
I joined the BAPRAS Overseas Interest Group in 2008, but I wanted to establish a transparent organization which had clear goals of sharing knowledge, with a solid governance framework and accountability, and for it to become a reliable source of training for our colleagues abroad in resource-poor environments. So I set up BFIRST and we launched in 2012.
As the founding Chairman I worked with some phenomenal colleagues to write our constitution and I was the Chairman for the first 4 years, having been asked to stay on by the then BAPRAS President, Nigel Mercer, and have seen some amazing Chairs in the years since then, who each brought their unique ideas. I am honoured to still play an active role, supporting the fantastic current Chair Tony Barabas and the Board. It is very inspiring to see that so many people wish to share their knowledge. The history of BFIRST's success and previous collaborations are important when considering new projects and ideas.
I believe in being useful and try to help anyone I encounter. Before I founded BFIRST, I worked with Martyn Webster and what is now ReSurge Africa in Ghana, Resurge International in Bolivia and Mali and I organized the UK Plastic Surgery response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake with BAPRAS and Merlin by coordinating multidisciplinary surgical teams. I also sat on the Royal College of Surgeons of England's Global Affairs Committee, and I started the British Society for Surgery of the Hand's overseas budget and work.
I feel blessed to have met so many friends with whom I have formed deep connections, across continents, and with whom I continue to work to improve opportunities and conditions for local health care teams and their patients.
What are your aspirations for BFIRST?
That we become a signpost for international collaborations and capacity-building for low and middle income countries, based on respect. That we forge long-lasting friendships and networks all over the world, which will be of direct benefit to local healthcare providers and their patients. That we have a robust reporting system from our visits abroad to show measurable impact, with reliable systems for timely and tangible transfer of knowledge and skills.
The surgeons we work with are already excellent surgeons; we are merely lending them a helping hand to do what they need to do for their patients with reconstructive needs.
What do you like to do outside of work and BFIRST?
We love to travel (58 countries and counting, now exploring Canada) and go to the theatre (52 times in our peak year) and this year I have finally made time to take up drawing and watercolour painting again. Bliss!
Webinars
BFIRST 2026 Webinar Series
Global Surgery by Mr Naveen Cavale
18/4/2026 13:00 GMT
Mr Cavale trained in London and has been a consultant plastic surgeon since 2009. He has an NHS and Private Practice, both based in South London. Since 2014, he has been visiting Gaza, with a team of Limb Reconstruction surgeons, helping to look after complex blast and gunshot injuries.
As well as direct patient care, the emphasis there has been on training local surgeons to increase capacity. Via BFIRST, Mr Cavale is involved in a collaboration project with BSSH in Tanzania. Mr Cavale is
Please follow our socials for updates about future webinars.
If you have missed any of the webinars from last year, you can watch them on our website including some fantastic webinars for revision of key topics within Plastic Surgery!
Our previous webinars are now also available via our YouTube channel!
Projects
Ethiopia
In January 2026, a team from Stoke Mandeville Hospital travelled to Addis Ababa to support the development of microsurgical training for plastic surgery trainees in Ethiopia.
Building on a 2023 scoping visit, the aim was to strengthen collaboration, launch formal microsurgery courses, and support anaesthetic training. The visit marked an important step towards establishing sustainable microsurgical education in one of Africa’s key surgical training hubs.
Read more about this in Projects.
Fellowships
BFIRST Fellows
The 2026 BFIRST fellows have been selected, congratulations to:
- Dr Lambert Onahi Iji from Nigeria
- Dr Masroor-ur-Rahman from Bangladesh
BFIRST Fellow Updates
Dr Tobi Abass: BFIRST Fellow in Taiwan
Dr Abass is currently completing a twelve month BFIRST fellowship in Taiwan, under Professor Seng-Feng Jeng.
L-R: Dr Cheng (attending consultant), Prof Jeng (attending consultant), Dr Shih (attending consultant, training director and coordinator), Dr Wang (consultant on oculoplastic fellowship), Dr Jason (resident), Dr Yew (resident), Dr Kim (resident), Dr Abass (BFIRST fellow)
As I approach the midpoint of my reconstructive microsurgery fellowship, here is a formal update on my progress, key learnings, clinical involvement, and how this training will translate to improved care for patients back home in Zaria, Kaduna, Nigeria.
Your generous support has made this transformative period possible, and I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to advance my skills in this specialised field.
The fellowship emphasises complex microvascular reconstructions, with a strong focus on free tissue transfer techniques typically progressing from assisting to primary surgeon roles under supervision. I have scrubbed in on 38 microsurgical cases, with hands-on leadership in more than 10 cases.
A major emphasis has been on the anterolateral thigh (ALT) flap, widely regarded as the "workhorse" of reconstructive microsurgery due to its versatility, long pedicle, large reliable skin paddle, and low donor-site morbidity.
I have been actively involved and performed ALT harvests, advancing from basic dissections to more complex chimeric and thinned variants. My key technical gains include:
Preoperative perforator mapping using handheld Doppler,
Intramuscular pedicle dissection for optimal length and vessel calibre, techniques for non sizeable perforator harvest, adaptations like fascio-cutaneous, myo-cutaneous, or sensate designs
Management of variations in obese patients or those with prior thigh surgery.
The case mix has been broad and representative of high-volume academic microsurgery programs:
Head and Neck (most common recon at E-DA Hospital): Primarily post-oncologic resections (oral cavity, mandible, pharynx, cheek).
ALT and radial forearm flaps for soft-tissue coverage; fibula osteo-cutaneous for bony defects. Notable cases include tongue reconstruction and jaw release with ALT after prior radiation fibrosis.
Breast: Autologous reconstructions using DIEP emphasis on perforator-based techniques for natural results and symmetry.
Extremity and Trauma: Lower limb coverage post-trauma/oncology
These experiences have built my confidence in multidisciplinary planning, preoperative imaging, and postoperative monitoring using implantable Doppler
Returning to Nigeria, I aim to establish and grow a sustainable microsurgery practice despite anticipated resource limitations. The ALT flap's advantages of predictable anatomy, two-team harvest potential, and minimal equipment needs beyond a microscope make it ideal for adaptation here.
Discussion with other members of the plastic surgery team to start with 2–3 free flaps per month based on feasibility assessment and resource availability, then supplement with pedicled options, which we are very comfortable and proficient in.
I intend to rely on clinical perforator mapping and handheld tools, train residents through workshops, and collaborate with local teams for monitoring.
In Nigeria, where delayed cancer presentations and high trauma volumes are common, reliable free flaps could significantly improve functional outcomes. This may decrease morbidity, financial burden on families, and long-term disability.
My long-term goal includes partnering with NGOs/hospitals for subsidised access to potentially benefit indigent patients.
Thank you again for your investment in this training, your support directly enables better reconstructive care in resource-constrained settings.
Fundraising
We would be grateful for any donations to help support our work.
Tough Mudder
BFIRST are planning to enter a team for Tough Mudder in September, if you are keen to join the BFIRST Tough Mudder team let us know here!
BFIRST Scrub Hats
We launched the BFIRST scrub hats at the BAPRAS Congress in December 2025, which were hugely popular, if you would like to purchase a hat please email: hcroberts46@gmail.com.
All proceeds will fund work undertaken by BFIRST!
Easyfundraising
Raise free funds for BFIRST with your everyday online shopping, visit easyfundraising to get started.
When shopping online by signing up to Easyfundraising your purchases will generate free funding for BFIRST!
Other
Open Hand Therapy Initiative
The Open Hand Therapy Initiative aims to improve hand injury care in resource challenged settings in order to reduce disability, improve quality of life and increase chances of work for people with hand injuries and conditions.
They provide accessible, relevant and captivating learning opportunities for generalist occupational therapists and physiotherapists that motivate ongoing development for hand-injury care.
They also invite hand therapists acquainted with the challenges faced in low to middle income countries to participate in strengthening hand injury care in these settings by sharing their expertise.
For more information click here!
Volunteering
BFIRST is keen for surgeons, nurses and allied specialists to all get involved. Please do get in touch if you are interested. Reconstructive surgery is a team sport!