The 2026 BFIRST Webinar Series
Welcome to the 2026 BFIRST Webinar Series. We offer focused, high-quality webinars for the global plastic surgery community, bringing together expert insights and practical discussions. Explore upcoming sessions and watch past webinars on demand.
Additional webinar dates and topics will follow throughout the year as we continue to expand our programme.
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Topic
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Speaker(s)
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Date
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Microsurgery
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Mr J R Srinivasan
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24 January 2026
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Setting up an Orthoplastics Service
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Mr A Emam
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21 February 2026
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Global Surgery
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Mr Naveen Cavale
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April (Date TBC)
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| Topic TBC |
Mr Vinay Itte |
May (Date TBC) |
| Craniofacial Surgery |
Prof Dr. Richard Thomson |
July (Date TBC) |
April 2026
Global Surgery, Mr Naveen Cavale
18 April 2026 | 13:00 UK Time
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 the past Chair of BFIRST and continues to play an active role.
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May 2026
Topic TBC, Mr Vinay Itte
May (Date and Time TBC)
Mr Itte is a Consultant Hand and Plastic Surgeon at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. MBBS, MSc, MRCS, FEBOPRAS, FRCS (Plas).
He has a special interest in hand and upper limb transplantation and gave a lecture at the BAPRAS Congress Forward in December 2025 (The UK Hand & Upper Limb Transplant Service: Lessons Learned & Progress Report).
Mr Itte has previously joined BSSH in Malawi and is joining them again in April this year.
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July 2026
Craniofacial Surgery, Prof Dr. Richard Thomson
July (Date and Time TBC)
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 pediatric 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 Pediatric Plastic Surgery, completing three international fellowships:
- Pediatric 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-centered 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.
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Planned for 2026
- Hand and Upper Limb Reconstruction (TBC), Mr Makarand Tare
- Military (TBC), Mr Graham Lawton
- Burns (TBC), Mr Stuart Watson
- A webinar from our past BFIRST Fellows
- Research (TBC), Mr Kavit Amin
- Hands (TBC), Mr Tony Barabas
Archive
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