Summary of Training
On finishing my basic surgical training, I embarked on training in all aspects of Plastic and Reconstructive surgery in various internationally recognised units in the country including Billericay (now Chelmsford), Manchester, Nottingham and Bristol. I furthered my training in my chosen subspecialty (Hand Surgery) at the British Society for Surgery of the Hand, and became a Fellow in the highly reputable Hand Unit in Chelmsford. Later I did a Hand and Microsurgery Fellowship in the world recognised Kleinert and Kutz Hand Surgery Centre, Louisville, Kentucky USA, where I trained under Dr Harold Kleinert, who is recognised as one of the fathers and pioneers of modern hand surgery.
On returning to the United Kingdom, I was appointed a Consultant Plastic, Reconstructive and Hand Surgeon at the St Andrews Centre for Plastic Surgery and Burns at Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford, and the Whipps Cross University Hospital in London in 2002. St Andrew's Centre is the regional centre for plastic surgery and has one of the busiest hand trauma units in the country, dealing with all aspects of hand trauma and post trauma sequelae.
My main interests are hand trauma, post hand trauma reconstruction, breast reconstruction, and scars. I also do a significant amount of general plastic surgery.
Teaching / Examining
I am on the board of examiners for the FRCS (Plast) Intercollegiate exit
exam, which is a national test held twice a year.
I have successfully organised (local convenor) this national examination in Broomfield hospital, Chelmsford (September 2011).
I am actively involved in the training of the next generation of surgeons in my NHS practice, as well as in formal courses held nationally and internationally.
I am the Director / Convenor of the Core Skills Course in Hand Surgery, which has been held twice yearly at the Royal College of Surgeons of England, London, since 2010. This is a fresh cadaveric course aimed at trainees in plastic surgery, trauma and orthopaedic surgery, and accident and emergency. This was developed from the Basic Skills Course in Hand Surgery which was also held at the college.
Previously I taught on the Basic Skills Course in Hand Surgery and later became the Director of the course in 2007.
Research
I am a member of the St Andrews Research (STARS) group. I am actively involved in the tendon research programme which I have developed with the collaboration of Dr Raj Mootanah. We are studying different core suture tendon techniques. Presently I am only working with porcine tendons using a biomechanical tension machine which measures the tensile strength (both cyclical and static) and displacement in the different tested core suture techniques.
Publications (In Peer Review Journals)
- Masters in Surgical Science (M Sc.) Thesis - University College London. Iwuagwu F.C. (Sept 1996) Comparative morphological study of the early cellular response in injured loaded and unloaded extensor digitorum longus tendons of the rat (first 7 days).
2. Iwuagwu F C. & Frame J. D. Silicone breast implants: complications [British Journal of Plastic Surgery
(1997),50,632-636]
3. Iwuagwu F C. & Frame J.D. Silicone breast implants: Concerns and
controversies. (British Journal of Plastic Surgery - in press)
4. Iwuagwu F.C. & Bailie F. Oral fluid therapy in paediatric burns (5% - 10%
BSA): an appraisal. [Burns - 24:470 –474; 1998]
5. Iwuagwu F.C. & McGrouther D. A. The early cellular response in injured
loaded and unloaded extensor digitorum longus tendons of the rat.
(Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery,102:2064-2071,1998 )
6. Iwuagwu F.C., Wilson D, Bailie F. The use of skin grafts in post burns
contracture - 10-year review. (Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery journal 103(4):1198-204,1999.
7. Iwuagwu F C, Payne F, Rigby H, Reid C D R. Juvenile xanthogranuloma: a clinicopathological case report.
(British Journal of Plastic Surgery 52(7):591-596, 1999.
8. Iwuagwu F C, Shaaban H, Lees V C. A biomechanical study of reattachment versus distal multistrand
repair in distal division of the flexor digitorum profundus. (Journal of Hand Surgery (British and European),
28B: 4: 369-372, 2003.
9. Iwuagwu F C, and Gupta A. A simple tendon retrieval method. (Journal of Hand Surgery (British and
European), 29B:2:191-193.
10. Iwuagwu F C, Misra A. Composite V-Y advancement flaps for the coverage of distal defects on the
dorsum of multiple digits, J Hand Surg Eur vol 2007, 32(2): 333-6.
11. Figus A, Iwuagwu F C and Elliot D. Subacute compression neuropathies after trauma and surgery of the
hand. Plast Reconstr Surg 2007, 120(3): 705-12.
12. Dillon C, Iwuagwu F C . Cavicare dressings following syndactyly (J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg. 2009
Nov;62(11):e518-9. Epub 2008 Sep 26)).
13. Figus A, Canu V, Iwuagwu F C, Ramakrishnan V. DIEP flap with implant: a further option in optimising
breast reconstruction. J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg. 2009 Sep;62(9):1118-26. Epub 2008 Jul 9.
14. Lyons ID, Iwuagwu FC. Re: Tripathi AK, Mee SN, Martin DL, Katsarma E. The 'transverse intraosseous
loop technique' (TILT) to re-insert flexor tendons in zone 1. J Hand Surg Eur. 2009, 34: 85-9.; J Hand
Surg Eur Vol. 2009 Oct;34(5):702.
15. Dewing D, Mashadi S A, Iwuagwu F. Deliberate self-harm: the St Andrew’s experience. European
Journal of Plastic Surgery Volume 33, Number 5, 2010, 237-239.
16. Pignatti M, Iwuagwu FC, Browne TF. Late partial failure of a free ALT flap.J Plast Reconstr Aesthet
Surg. 2011 Dec 24.
17. Pignatti M, Iwuagwu FC, Harrison AP, Cerio R. Desmoplastic trichoepithelioma confused with cutaneous
squamous cell carcinoma in childhood.J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg. 2011 Apr;64(4):e92-4. Epub
2010 Dec 3.
18. Venkatachalam S, Gillepsie P, Orkar S, Iwuagwu F. Pattern of tendon and nerve injuries: how accurate
is pre op diagnoses? J Bone Joint Surg Br 2010 vol. 92-B no. SUPP I 42.
19. Iwuagwu F, Siddiqui A. Pedicled (antegrade) SUPBRA flap - For wound cover on volar aspect of thumb.
J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg. 2011 Sep 22. [Epub ahead of print]
20. Orkar S O, Watts C, Misra A, Iwuagwu F C. A comparative analysis of the outcome of flexor tendon
repair in a single radial digit (index finger) and a single ulnar digit (little finger): Does the little finger
fare worse? (J Hand Surgery Eur vol 2012, 37E(1):20-26.
21. Mopuri N, Masud D, Iwuagwu F C. Simple method to measure volume difference in asymmetric and
hypoplastic breasts. J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg. 66 (1), January 2013, Pages 142–143.
22. Iwuagwu F C, Orkar S, Siddiqui A. The use of free superficial palmar branch of the radial artery
(SUPBRA) flaps in digital reconstruction. Plast Reconstr Surg - 2013, Feb, 131(2): 308e- 309e.
23. Mussa MA, O’Connor E, Waterston S, Taylor M, Iwuagwu F. Isolated tuberculosis of the wrist: A rare
case of extrapulmonary tuberculosis. International journal of case reports and images, 2013.
24. Jabir S, Lyall H, Iwuagwu FC. The extensor pollicis brevis: a review of its anatomy and variations.
Eplasty. 2013 Jul 1;13:e35.
25. Jabir S, Iwuagwu FC. Postoperative mobilization regimens following digital nerve repair: a systematic
review. Eplasty. 2014 Jan 17;14:e5.
26 Jing SS, Teare L, Iwuagwu F. Mycobacterium Kanasii Flexor Tenosynovitis of the Finger. Hand Surgery
vol.19, No. 02, pp.249-251, Jan 2014.
27. Sharma P, Gathura E, Iwuagwu F.'Marionette sutures' retraction for hand fracture fixation. J Plast
Reconstr Aesthet Surg. 2014 Aug;67(8):1160-1.
28. Iwuagwu FC, Orkar SK, Siddiqui A. Reconstruction of volar skin and soft tissues of the digits including
the pulp: Experience with the free SUPBRA flap J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg. 2014 Sep 16. pii: S1748-
6815(14)00500-2. doi: 10.1016/j.bjps.2014.08.064. [Epub ahead of print]
29. Iwuagwu F C. The three stages of breast reconstruction (Invited article). Plastic and Maxillofacial
Aesthetic (PMFA) , October/ November, vol 2 ,issue 1, pp 19-23 2014.
