Mr Ibrahim Natalwala

I am a Substantive Consultant in Hand and Plastic Surgery at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust with over 10 years’ experience in Plastic Surgery. I have completed the prestigious TIG Hand Surgery Fellowship, Leeds Hand Transplant Fellowship, and Paediatric Plastic Surgery Fellowship at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.

My specialist interests include adult and paediatric hand surgery, peripheral nerve surgery, paediatric plastic surgery, vascular anomalies, and complex upper limb reconstruction. I have particular expertise in managing complex hand and nerve conditions, including congenital hand differences, trauma, and nerve injuries.

My academic interests focus on peripheral nerve surgery and vascularised composite allotransplantation. My research is internationally recognised, with numerous peer ‑reviewed publications, scientific presentations, and multiple scientific awards. I am committed to providing meticulous, patient‑ centred, highly specialised care tailored to the individual needs of each patient.

My clinical practice focuses on the treatment of conditions affecting the hand and upper limb. I routinely manage hand trauma, including fractures, tendon injuries, nerve injuries, and soft ‑tissue defects. I have particular expertise in peripheral nerve surgery, including the management of compression neuropathies such as carpal tunnel syndrome and cubital tunnel syndrome, as well as the reconstruction of major nerve injuries including brachial plexus injuries.
I treat a wide range of common hand conditions, including Dupuytren’s disease, ganglions, soft ‑tissue and bone tumours, trigger finger, and De Quervain’s tenosynovitis. I also manage arthritis of the hand and wrist offering a full spectrum of treatments ranging from intra-‑articular steroid injections to joint replacement and joint fusion surgery. I also offer surgery for hand rejuvenation including fat transfer.

I have extensive experience in complex scar revision and upper limb reconstruction, providing reconstructive options including local flaps and free tissue transfer. For patients with severe or traumatic injuries, I also perform secondary reconstructive procedures, such as tendon transfers, nerve transfers, and free functioning muscle transfer.

I have specialist expertise in the management of congenital hand differences in children, including duplicate digits, absent or under‑developed digits, syndactyly (webbed fingers), amniotic band syndrome, paediatric trigger finger/thumb, arthrogryposis, overgrowth syndromes, and Poland’s syndrome. Where required, I perform highly specialised reconstructive surgery including toe‑-to-‑hand transfer, pollicisation, and microsurgical free tissue transfer.
For both adults and children, I also manage vascular anomalies offering surgical excision and reconstruction where these lesions are suitable for operative treatment.

To date I have performed over 5000 procedures in Hand and Plastic Surgery ranging from minor procedures such as skin cancer excisions to major procedures including brachial plexus reconstructions and free tissue transfers.

In addition to my clinical practice, I hold a number of regional and national academic and leadership roles. I serve on the British Society for Surgery of the Hand (BSSH) Hand Diploma Committee as a Module Lead, contributing to national education and assessment in hand surgery. I am also a member of the JCIE Plastic Surgery FRCS Panel of Question Writers Committee, supporting the development of the Plastic Surgery FRCS examination.

I sit on the national selection panel for Plastic Surgery ST3 applicantions and am actively involved in postgraduate medical education. I am a reviewer for leading journals in hand and plastic surgery, including the Journal of Hand Surgery (European Volume) and the Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery (JPRAS).

At a regional level, I am a member of the Plastic Surgery Specialist Training Committee (STC) as well as an OSCE examiner, contributing to trainee assessment and development.