Dan, 41, specialises in head, neck and facial plastic and reconstructive surgery and has worked at Newcastle Hospitals for nearly six years.
The variety of cases that Dan sees every day, and need to create bespoke reconstructive plans which are unique to each patient is what he finds very rewarding in his role.
Plastic and reconstructive surgery is carried out on any part of the body. This means that Dan gets to work alongside colleagues and teams from an extensive range of specialties, and the complexity of work differs, “always making for an interesting working day.”
This was certainly the case for the major cancer surgery Dan performs in episode two of the series, where we see him remove a tumour from 74 year-old Bill’s face and scalp, which returned 16 months after it was first removed.
Dan then reconstructs the affected area by transplanting a piece of Bill’s thigh skin to his scalp.
Dan enjoyed taking part in the filming saying it brought a little bit of extra pressure to the operating theatre as something unexpected can always happen.
He also wanted to be involved to show the wider world what goes on in our North East city, demonstrating that we deal with very complex problems offering more specialised services than any of our peer plastic surgery units in the UK.
When he isn’t clad in scrubs under the theatre lights, Dan enjoys spending time with his family and taking in a round of golf.
What would you say to someone who was interested in pursuing a similar career here?
“Aim high and set realistic goals to achieve those aims.”
