The Newcastle Microsurgery Fellowship: A Truly Multidisciplinary Training Experience

Area of Science:

• Plastic Surgery
• Microsurgery
• Surgical Training

Background:

• The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Plastic Surgery Department provides advanced surgical education.
• Reconstructive microsurgery is a complex subspecialty requiring extensive hands-on experience.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an overview of a 12-month fellowship in reconstructive microsurgery.
• To highlight the comprehensive training and case volume offered.
• To share insights from recent fellows' experiences.

Main Methods:

• Fellowship program overview.
• Description of surgical case involvement (free flaps and complex reconstructions).
• Based on the experiences of two recent fellows.

Main Results:

• The fellowship covers nearly all aspects of reconstructive microsurgery.
• Over 175 free flaps are performed annually across two hospital sites.
• Fellows are involved in at least 90 microsurgical cases and complex non-free flap reconstructions.

Conclusions:

• The fellowship provides intense, comprehensive, hands-on training in reconstructive microsurgery.
• The program offers broad exposure to diverse surgical areas, including head and neck, sarcoma, facial palsy, and breast and limb reconstruction.
• The fellowship experience prepares surgeons for complex reconstructive challenges.