Charles Nduka

Open Evening at Spire Gatwick Park Hospital, 15 February 2011

2011-01-21T04:14:00.001-08:00

Charles Nduka will be co hosting a Cosmetic Surgery Open Evening at the Spire Gatwick Park Hospital, Horley on Tuesday 15 February 2011 starting at 7pm. Charles will cover a variety of cosmetic procedures in his talk, which will include before and after photographs of previous patients. There will be light refreshments, information to take away and an opportunity to ask questions in a relaxed environment, without any obligation or financial commitment.

The event is free but numbers are limited. To book your place please call 01293 778 906 or email beaulieu.harris@spirehealthcare.com. Please provide your name, home postcode, contact telephone number and how you heard about the event. Please also state the cosmetic procedure you are considering.

Charles Nduka begins new trial of Insulin to Treat Scars

2010-12-05T16:38:00.000-08:00

Scars can be very distressing, especially after accidents. After an operation they may be the last reminder of the illness. In most cases scars heal as a pale fine line, but abnormal scars, called hypertrophic scars are red, raised and may be itchy. A keloid scar is a scar that continues to grow and can be very unsightly and impact on the patient's quality of life.

Reducing the impact of a scar is the goal of every plastic surgeon and a way to reduce the size or symptoms scars is a holy grail.

Preliminary research has indicated that insulin (a hormone found naturally in the body, which can be synthesised to treat diabetes) injected at the time of surgery may reduce scar formation.

A randomised trial of eligible patients having bilateral breast surgery at the Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead and the McIndoe Surgical Centre will investigate whether this effect will be useful for future patients. Ethical committee approval has been granted to recruit 75 women who are due to have plastic surgery. Patients who have had breast augmentation, breast reduction, or breast uplift may be eligible if they require further surgery, or the scar needs revision. If successful, in future the trial may help patients with scars following surgery such as mastectomy and breast reconstruction.

The trial will run for 2 years and results will be available in 2013.

Facial Palsy Service commended in national awards

2009-12-01T09:15:00.000-08:00

The Health Service Journal national awards commended the Facial Palsy Service at the Queen Victoria Hospital in a ceremony in London. The service, pioneered by Charles Nduka a team of dedicated therapists and specialists was recognised for improving access to healthcare for the many patients left with long-term neurological disability.

Breast Reconstruction patient information DVD

2008-10-15T18:45:00.000-07:00

The quality of information available to women considering breast reconstruction after mastectomy varies widely, particularly for women considering more advanced techniques such as the deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap. Between 2005-2008 I produced a patient information DVD based on interviews with patients, surgeons, and allied health professionals. The DVD, “Breast Reconstruction For Life” was launched in October 2008 as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and achieved widespread coverage in the media. Distribution is through a charitable foundation and via a website www.breastreconstructionforlife.org.uk

Free DVD for breast cancer patients revealing range of alternatives

2008-09-21T07:43:00.000-07:00

An inequality in breast reconstruction options for mastectomy patients has been highlighted by a West Sussex hospital.

The Queen Victoria Hospital (QVH) announced that women considering breast reconstruction following breast cancer are often not given the full range of options available for reconstruction in what can sometimes be a ‘postcode lottery' - and may end up choosing an option that isn't right for them or which requires further plastic surgery in the future. In light of this, the hospital has launched a free DVD, available nationally, which gives comprehensive information about the reconstruction options available, as well as information on ‘finishing touches' such as nipple reconstruction and nipple tattooing.

The DVD (www.breastreconstructionforlife.org.uk) includes the personal journey of a woman undergoing the procedure, and interviews with other women in the process and gives expert advice on the best options and how to go about accessing them.

According to Charles Nduka, consultant plastic surgeon at QVH who directed the DVD:

"There are four different options for breast reconstruction following mastectomy but not all of these are offered as a standard, and indeed in hospitals where there isn't a plastic surgeon the patient may never know the full range of alternatives. This DVD seeks to raise awareness of the options and techniques so that women can make the right choice for their lifestyle."

Audit of Breast Reduction Surgery Provision in England reveals Postcode Lottery

2007-12-12T16:30:00.000-08:00

Criteria for funding Breast Reduction surgery laid down by the Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) in England vary widely. There was anecdotal evidence of a “postcode lottery” of provision of this intervention which has well-documented health benefits. We surveyed the funding criteria for BBR of all 303 Trusts in England and found that even with explicit guidelines, considerable variation in local funding criteria exists with resultant inequalities in provision. This work was presented by one of our trainees, Will Wraight, at the annual meeting of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons.

Face paralysis surgery 'miracle'

2007-10-21T09:56:00.000-07:00

A woman who had a pioneering operation for facial paralysis at a West Sussex hospital has said the surgeon who carried it out was a "miracle man".

Vivvy Butler, from Surrey, said she felt normal again and was able to smile after the temporalis tendon transfer at the Queen Victoria Hospital.

"This operation gave me back my face, which is wonderful," she said.

Plastic surgeon Charles Nduka said he hoped the technique would become more widely available across the UK.

Facial Paralysis

2007-04-28T11:30:00.000-07:00

Facial Paralysis is a devastating condition that has physical, social, and psychological effects. Patients are typicaly referred from a variety of routes (e.g. GP, neurosurgeons, ENT, maxillofacial surgeon, ophthalmologist, or rehabilitation specialist). Often the referral pathway is dis-jointed with patients travelling to several different hospitals to receive the various elements of care. Also, little emphasis has been placed on the psychological impact of facial paralysis.

These issues led me to drive the development of a new Multidisciplinary Facial Palsy Clinic- the first of its kind in the UK. The facial palsy service includes specialist physiotherapy, speech & language therapy, psychological therapy, ophthalmology, as well as consultants in plastic, maxillofacial, and ophthalmic surgery.

Unique clinic proformas and information booklets were written to ensure quality assurance. Furthermore, objective and subjective assessments were integrated into the clinical documentation and treatment pathways to allow audit and research in the future. Our specialist physiotherapist performs facial EMGs on site which generates additional income for the Trust and makes the service financially viable.

The first quarterly clinic was held in April 2007 and due high demand, the number of clinics has been increased.

Development of improved access to lower limb trauma

2007-01-31T14:10:00.000-08:00

Following my appointment in May 2006, a major objective was to help improve the management of lower limb trauma patients. These patients, many of whom are elderly often wait for weeks at their local hospitals before transfer to the QVH for surgery.

I took on the role of surgical lead for the newly convened Outliers’ Committee chaired by Tony Josling and including representatives from anaesthetics, admissions, the wards and management. The aim was to i) improve the triaging of referrals, ii) minimise inappropriate transfers of unfit patients, iii) shorten the referral to surgery time, and iv) expedite repatriation to the referring hospital.

I have re-drafted the Outlier Referral Form to capture as much relevant information as practical and thus aid triage. I have also instituted a system requiring that all referrals are discussed with me or a colleague with a lower limb trauma interest prior to formal acceptance. Finally, with the help of management, specified operating lists were identified for outliers to minimise cancelled operations.

A recent re-audit revealed shorter intervals from referral to admission and from admission to surgery, fewer cancelled operations, shorter hospital stay, and zero peri-operative deaths.

Further improvement by speedier repatriation to the local hospital is an area for further improvement.

3D Research wins Hackett prize

2006-09-01T08:39:00.000-07:00

Researcher and trainee plastic surgeon Marlene See was awarded the Memorial Hackett prize by the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) at their annual meeting in September. The work, supervised by consultant plastic surgeon Mr Charles Nduka, demonstrated for the first time the application of 3D imaging for objective evaluation of the changes in facial morphology in mother-daughter pairs.

Can technology measure the aging process?

2006-07-06T12:10:00.000-07:00

Research presented to the British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (BAPRAS) shows how technology can measure the aging process.

www.privatehealth.co.uk/cosmetic-surgery/news/july-2006/new-face-scanner

Plastic Surgery: Living Portaiture?

2006-06-15T07:32:00.000-07:00

Mr Charles Nduka gives a talk at the National Portraiture Gallery entitled 'Plastic Surgery: Living Portraiture?'

National Portrait Gallery will host a seminar on 3D and Installation Portraiture on Thursday 15 June 2006. This is the third in a series of challenging seminars on contemporary portraiture and its place in modern art at the gallery. The event is organised by Alla Tkachuk, artist-in-residence, Queen Mary, University of London, in conjunction with the National Portrait Gallery.  This seminar will bring together leading artists and critics. It offers a rare opportunity with such participants to present and discuss the representation of human form and identity in sculpture, sound, mechanical & maquette formats and in 3D modelling and animation.  The event will be chaired by Tim Teeman, visual arts editor, The Times. Other participants are Heidi Reitmaier, the Tate Gallery, Jim Thacker, editor of 3D World magazine, and Charles Nduka, a leading facial surgeon.

British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons hold their first course on Photography and Photodocumentation

2006-03-03T07:46:00.000-08:00

The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons will be holding their first course on Photography and Photodocumentation. The one-day course, to be held later this month, will offer advice on data-protection issues, and explore advances in digital imaging as well as teach surgeons how to improve the accuracy of their before-and-after photographs.'

For more on this story, follow these links

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4766562.stm

http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/health.cfm?id=372082006