The seed for my interest in shoulder surgery was planted when I worked for Mr Constant in Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge as a junior and grew as a senior trainee whilst working in the Upper Limb Unit of the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Hospital, Oswestry. This lead to my fellowship in shoulder and elbow surgery under the guidance of Professor Sonnabend and Dr J Hughes in Sydney.
I was appointed as a consultant trauma and orthopaedic surgeon with special interest in shoulder and elbow surgery to the Royal Glamorgan Hospital in 2006.
Since then, I have continued to develop this specialization and in 2009 I was awarded the BESS/ Smith & Nephew Travelling Fellowship. Under the auspices of this award, I worked with Dr Joe de Beer at the Cape Shoulder Institute in Cape Town learning futher techniques in shoulder stabilization, particularly in athletes; I also spent time being tutored by Dr Jon JP Warner in the Harvard Shoulder Service, Boston where my understanding of both common and complex shoulder conditions was enhanced; finally, I was honoured to be taught by Professor L Bigliani and Dr W Levine at Columbia University, New York.
I strive to improve my practice by continuous audit, several of which have been presented at national meetings, and guiding my juniors in research projects leading to publication. My research experience includes a year as a BASK research fellow as a trainee. Currently I am the Royal College of Surgeons Tutor for the Royal Glamorgan Hospital where I endeavour to pass on my interest and enthusiasm to our juniors and organise regional teaching afternoons. I am also an Honorary Clinical Tutor for UWCC school of medicine.
I co-convene the Basic Shoulder Skills course in WIMAT and am a tutor on Royal College of Surgeons courses as well as Anatomy for FRCS(Tr&Orth). Organising the South Wales conferences for Y Gymdeithas Feddygol is also one of my duties.