August 2026 Newsletter
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 August 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
All-night Charity Hike Mount Snowdon
Dr Anirban Mandal, a Consultant Burns, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon at Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and his son, Arya, have completed an all-night hike to the summit of Mount Snowdon Yr Wyddfa, the highest mountain in Wales, to fundraise for the BFIRST Tanzania Project.
This challenge tested their endurance, resilience and teamwork as they faced darkness, fatigue, steep terrain and unpredictable weather! Well done Arni and Arya!
Ahid Abood donates instruments for Peru Project
Ahid Abood with Tony Barabas, BFIRST Chairman.
Thank you to Ahid Abood for donating instruments from his ‘The Day Surgery’ clinic in Cambridge for the November trip to Peru!
Global Reconstructive Surgery Day 2026
Save the date: BFIRST will host the biennial Overseas Day on the 4th September at the Royal Society of Medicine.
A collaboration between BFIRST, BSSH and RSM, we are delighted to announce this exciting one day programme. This will include a series of interesting talks showcasing overseas work undertaken by BFIRST and other societies and organisations from the UK.
Early registration is recommended as places are limited!
Registration:
Free to RSM members.
Non RSM members: £50.00
£35 when booked with discount code AMU04BFIRST.
Please book as a non-member delegate as other HCPs.
This day is running parallel to the Aesthetics Congress. To book please follow this link.
When booking this event initially is under the RSM Aesthetics Congress - please ensure to tick the box to attend the Global Reconstructive Surgery session as it is running parallel to the Aesthetics congress.
For registration queries: plastic.surgery@rsm.ac.uk
BFIRST are very grateful to Medartis for their kind sponsorship of the event.
Applications for the 2027 BFIRST Fellowships are open!
BFIRST awards fellowships each year to enable overseas plastic surgeons from resource-poor countries to spend time and gain observational experience in a recognised plastic surgery unit in the UK.
For more information and to apply for a BFIRST fellowship please read our webpage on fellowships.
The closing date is 4th September 2026.
BFIRST Global Microsurgery Webinar Success
The BFIRST Global Microsurgery Webinar held on the 29th August featuring three consultants (Dr Chihena Banda from Zambia, Dr Abdurazek Ali from Ethiopia, and Dr Kemi Ayoede from Nigeria) who have set up microsurgery units in their local hospitals was a resounding success!
We had around 50 attendees from 14 countries join us!
We look forward to inviting these fascinating speakers back for more clinically focused webinars soon.
If you missed the webinar it will soon be available on our website and YouTube Channel.
Meet the Team
Mr Chris Lewis: Research, Education and Fellowships Subcommittee
Tell us about yourself!
I am a Consultant plastic, burn and laser surgeon based in Newcastle upon Tyne. My clinical work focuses mainly on burns, scar management and reconstruction in adults and children. Alongside this, I’m involved in research, education and surgical training, with a particular interest in developing sustainable burn and reconstructive services.
Tell us about your time with BFIRST
My involvement with BFIRST has mainly been through my experience and partnership with Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre (KCMC) in Moshi, Tanzania. I’ve been fortunate to visit Tanzania on several occasions, working alongside local surgical teams and contributing to clinical care, teaching and service development. More recently, I joined the BFIRST committee, allowing me to contribute to the organisation more widely. I’ve also tried to support BFIRST beyond the clinical work, including fundraising through running events and taking on the challenge of climbing Kilimanjaro.
Why did you want to work with BFIRST?
I was drawn to BFIRST because of its focus on genuine, long-term partnerships rather than short-term surgical missions. For me, global surgery is about building relationships, sharing skills and supporting colleagues to develop services that reflect their own priorities and are sustainable. That approach fits closely with how I believe international surgical collaboration should work.
What are your aspirations for BFIRST?
I would like to see BFIRST continue to strengthen sustainable, locally led partnerships, combining clinical care with training, education, research and capacity building. There is also a great opportunity to involve more residents in meaningful global surgery and develop relationships that continue throughout their careers. Ultimately, success should be measured by increasingly strong, resilient and locally led services.
What do you like to do outside of work and BFIRST?
Outside work, most of my time is spent with my wife, our two children and our cocker spaniel Poppy exploring the North East countryside and Coast. I am a keen runner and enjoy setting myself new challenges. I also enjoy scuba diving, travelling and live music.
Webinars
BFIRST 2026 Webinar Series
Please join us for our next webinar:
Dr. Richard Thomson is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at UT Health San Antonio. His clinical practice focuses on the treatment of congenital and acquired facial differences, including post-Mohs reconstruction. He has particular expertise in Cleft Lip and Palate and provides comprehensive care across the full spectrum of paediatric plastic surgery.
Dr. Thomson received his medical degree from the University of Liverpool and subsequently earned a Master’s degree in Surgical Science and Practice from the University of Oxford. He completed his residency training in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the Welsh Centre for Burns and Plastic Surgery and was admitted as a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England in Plastic Surgery (FRCS Plast).
He has undertaken extensive subspecialty training in Cleft, Craniofacial, and Paediatric Plastic Surgery, completing three international fellowships:
- Paediatric Plastic Surgery, BC Children’s Hospital, Vancouver, Canada
- Craniofacial Surgery, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, England
- Cleft Lip and Palate Surgery, Evelina London Children’s Hospital, London, England
Prior to joining UT Health San Antonio, Dr. Thomson served as an attending consultant at the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children and The Welsh Centre for Cleft Lip and Palate Surgery. He is committed to a patient-centred approach, emphasizing individualized care and clear communication with patients and families. He values close collaboration with multidisciplinary teams to achieve the best possible outcomes for his patients.
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!
Fellowships
BFIRST Fellows
The 2026 BFIRST fellows have completed their fellowships:
Dr Lambert Onahi Iji, from Nigeria, has completed a fellowship in Leeds, placed with the Cleft Surgery team, Congenital Hand team and Hand Trauma team.
Dr Masroor-ur-Rahman, from Bangladesh has completed a fellowship with Mr Nav Cavale and the Plastics Team at St Thomas’s hospital.
Dr Lambert Onahi Iji’s report is included below, and we look forward to hearing about Dr Masoor-ur-Rahman’s fellowship soon.
BFIRST fellow report: Dr Lambert Onahi Iji
Receiving the email that confirmed my acceptance into the BFIRST observership programme was a moment of great excitement for me as I began to imagine what an immense opportunity it was for me to explore and experience plastic and reconstructive surgery from a global perspective. I indeed appreciated how fortunate I was to be considered among the 2026 cohort.
I arrived the Leeds General Infirmary with much anticipation, knowing there was a lot to learn in six weeks. Having been assigned to consultants in hand surgery and cleft surgery, I was permitted by them to explore and learn as much as I could from other aspects of plastic surgery.
I started off with observing a free gracilis muscle transfer to restore elbow flexion in a child with birth brachial plexus injury. With very little exposure to microsurgery back home, this was very revealing to me. This turned out not to be an isolated experience as I subsequently witnessed the application of free tissue transfers for reconstruction of upper and lower limb defects as well as post mastectomy breast reconstruction. I was also privileged to observe various hand and upper limb surgeries. These were done for congenital problems like acrosyndactyly, polydactyly, thumb hypoplasia and thumb duplication. There were also a couple of trauma related surgeries which were exciting to watch, one of which was a free ALT flap reconstruction for an open tibial fracture after Illizarov placement. I also had some exposure to sarcoma surgeries.
Beyond surgical exposure, I found the work environment to be particularly orderly, organized and conducive. Everyone understood their role and demonstrated competence and efficiency. It was also a very friendly and welcoming environment. The consultants, fellows, residents, ODPs, physiotherapists and other staff made me feel absolutely welcome.
Leeds is indeed a beautiful place to visit. I was able to explore the city centre, the museum, the library and other areas which added fun to my time there. The fellowship was indeed a revealing, enlightening and amazing experience. My profound gratitude goes to Ms Grainne Bourke, Mr Will Breakey, Mr. Rob Baines, Mr. Hussein, Kavit, Poonam, Rachael, Alistair, Fiona, Sam, Dave and all the amazing individuals I met there. I am also immensely grateful to BFIRST and BAPRAS for the opportunity.
Events
BFIRST will be at BAPRAS 2026
On Friday 4th December at 3pm we will be hosting the BFIRST, Global Surgery and Military session at the BAPRAS annual conference in Liverpool! We look forward to seeing you there!
Please do visit the BFIRST exhibition stand, where you can meet the BFIRST team, learn more about what we do and how you can get involved.
As part of BFIRST BAPRAS tradition, we will be hosting the BFIRST social night, on Wednesday 2nd December. BFIRST are very grateful to Silimed for kindly sponsoring this evening. Entrance will be strictly by ticket only, tickets will be exclusively available from the Silimed stand on a first come first serve basis.
BFIRST will host a charity auction at the start of the BAPRAS Congress Dinner on Thursday 3rd December. We would be grateful if you have any items or experiences you would like to offer as auction prizes, please contact hcroberts46@gmail.com.
Fundraising
We are extremely grateful for the generous donations from the Positano Fund, which has supported the BFIRST one year microsurgery fellowship in Taiwan, the microsurgery development in Zambia, overseen locally by Dr Banda, and other projects.
We would be grateful for all donations to continue supporting our work, please consider supporting BFIRST when hosting events or undertaking challenges!
We would be grateful for any donations to help support our work.
Chris Lewis Half Marathon Fundraiser
In October, Chris Lewis will be running the Royal Parks Half Marathon to raise money for Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre (KCMC) in Moshi, Tanzania, and the work of BFIRST.
KCMC provides vital burn care across Northern Tanzania, serving a large catchment area with limited specialist resources. Support helps strengthen sustainable burn care, reconstructive surgery, training, and education.
Every donation will help support better burn care for patients and families, while strengthening long-term partnership work through FIRST. Please support this fundraising effort.
Please sponsor Chris here!
BFIRST Scrub Hats
We launched the BFIRST scrub hats at the BAPRAS Congress in December 2025, which can be personalised with your name! These 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
Global Plastic Surgery Research Priorities
Matt Gardiner, Consultant Plastic Surgeon, NDORMs, Oxford, is conducting a research project on global Plastic Surgery Research Priorities, which aims to describe the research priorities most important to those that use research findings (such as patients, healthcare workers, academics and policy makers).
This allows researchers and funders to understand where their effort will have most impact. This will maximise patient benefit and reduce research waste.
This project is supported by BAPRAS and ICOPLAST.
Please complete the questionnaire through the link or via the QR code.
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!