In February 2016, and again in September 2017, Antony Fitton visited Rwanda as part of a team of surgeons from the United Kingdom working with the charities Operation Hernia and Rwanda Legacy of Hope.

The principal aim of these visits was to foster a working relationship with the surgeons at The University Teaching Hospital in Kigali.

My own contribution was to work alongside a designated plastic surgeon in the country, Faustin Ntirenganya, to support, mentor and train the incumbent plastic surgical team in developing reconstructive surgical services, especially microvascular reconstruction.

During the two 1-week missions a range of surgical procedures were performed. These included burns surgeries, surgery for congenital abnormalities, scar revisions, excision and reconstruction of advanced cancers of the scalp and microvascular reconstruction of osteomyelitis of the tibia.

Rwanda is a country with hope and ambition for the future. In 1994 800,000 people were killed in a three-month long genocide. Since that time the country the slowly recovered and reconciled its past.

Rwanda is now a united community and an emerging economy in central Africa.

It was a privilege to spend time with the people and indeed it was humbling to observe and experience life in this country.

Find out more…

Rwanda Report

Operation Hernia