Mr Kay James

I have been lucky enough to train and work in many different units in the UK and Australia. I have a wide experience in plastic surgery including: skin cancer, burns, hand, head & neck, breast reconstruction, cleft palate, cosmetic, hypospadias, lower limb, and sarcoma surgery.   My main interest is limb reconstruction, whether for trauma, infection or cancer. I cover the Major Trauma Centre for adults and children in Bristol managing patients with severe open fractures and polytrauma. I perform over 50 complex reconstructions per year.  I am a member of the Sarcoma and Specialist Skin Cancer MDT, providing surgical management of patients with soft tissue sarcomas and skin cancer, and interfacing with other colleagues including oncologists, radiologists and specialist nurses to ensure the highest quality of service. I also manage hand trauma, including tendon, nerve and vascular injuries, fractures and amputations.   I gained wide experience of dealing with the most severe injuries during my trauma fellowship in Birmingham including blast injuries and amputations. My lower limb reconstruction & microvascular fellowship in Bristol helped consolidate surgical concepts and further enhanced my technical skills. I also used this time to further knowledge in lower limb trauma by publishing and presenting in this field. This Major Trauma Centre (MTC) has a well integrated orthoplastic approach that I have maintained as a consultant, by forging close working relationships, good communication, joint clinics and operating lists, both with colleagues in the MTC and the wider Trauma Network. I am actively involved in training the next generation of plastic surgeons. I am an examiner for the FRCS exams in plastic surgery, I am a member of the Specialist Advisory Committee for plastic surgery training in the UK, and I am joint Lead for the selection process for plastic surgery training programme. I continue to publish in the plastic surgery literature and present internationally. I am frequently invited to teach reconstructive techniques both in the UK and overseas.  

I have been a Consultant Plastic Surgeon in Bristol since 2014. My main areas of expertise are orthoplastic limb reconstruction (including flap reconstruction and amputation surgery) and sarcoma surgery (including management of benign and malignant soft tissue tumours). I have extensive experience managing skin lesions; both malignant and benign, and also hand surgery. My regular practice includes both adults and children and medico-legal consultations. I have performed several hundred complex limb reconstructions, mainly free tissue transfers, but also less complex flaps, amputations, and also revision surgery (including targeted muscle re-innervation). I have over 10 years' experience managing skin lesions and soft tissue lumps including complex reconstruction if required both privately, and in my NHS practice in Southmead and Bristol Children's Hospital.