Meet Daniel van Gijn
Daniel van Gijn is a double fellowship trained Consultant Head and Neck surgeon specialising in facial plastic surgery. He has travelled globally to achieve the best surgical training available and is fully certified and indemnified.
Daniel qualified with honours in both medicine and dentistry, and was awarded Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of England on completion of surgical training. He has extensive experience in reconstructive head, neck and facial surgery having trained in a number of world-renowned hospitals within London, Oxford, Surrey, East Grinstead, South Africa and Sydney.
He has received numerous undergraduate and postgraduate prizes and awards for his clinical, academic and technical excellence. He undertook a highly competitive one year fellowship in Sydney, focusing on head and neck cancer, complex skin cancer and microvascular reconstructive surgery.
This was followed by appointment as an NHS Consultant Head and Neck oncology and facial reconstructive surgeon. Daniel then completed a bespoke and highly prestigious full time facial plastic surgery fellowship focusing on deep plane facial rejuvenation with Dominic Bray. He is one of only a few surgeons in the UK specialising exclusively in facial aesthetic surgery.
He is the principle author of the Oxford Handbook of Head and Neck anatomy published by Oxford University Press and has written four book chapters – covering topics from skin cancer reconstructive techniques, anatomy of the eye and the management of complications in facelift surgery.
He has written multiple peer-reviewed papers and has presented scientific research at International conferences worldwide.
Outside of work, Daniel has earned the coveted green beret on completion of Royal Marines Commando training and has undertaken Ironman distance triathlon and several marathons.
He has travelled widely, including covering over 40,000 miles from Ushuaia, at the bottom of South America to Prudhoe bay at the northernmost tip of Alaska on a vintage motorbike. He is married to Polly and is dad to three young boys.
Academia
Qualifications
- 2021 FRCS(OMFS) Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons
- 2012 MFDS Member of the Faculty of Dental Surgeons, Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland
- 2012 BDS(Hons) Bachelor of Dental Surgery, University of London (with Honours)
- 2009 MRCS Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons of England
- 2006 MBBS(Hons): Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (with Honours and Distinction), University of London
- 2005 BSc(Hons): Bachelor of Science (Anatomy 2:1), University of London
Prizes
- 2023 BAOMS Fellowship Travel Grant
- 2021 Royal Society of Medicine Ellison-Cliffe Travelling fellowship (Competitive process National prize/grant awarded)
- 2012 Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) and MBBS awarded with Honours University of London
- 2012 Parris prize for Innovation in dentistry King’s College, London
- 2012 Maurice Wohl General Dental Practice prize, Certificate of merit King’s College, London
- 2012 Dentsply Ceram X Duo Case contest NATIONAL Prize winner for clinical dentistry, United Kingdom
- 2012 British Association of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons (BAPRAS), Student Elective Prize
- 2011 Dental Circle Elective Award King’s College London
- 2011 Geoffrey Foreman Essay Prize in Oral Diagnosis. King’s College London
- 2011 3M ESPE Award for innovation, Dentistry. King’s College London
- 2009 A.H.R Rowe Prize Winner for Clinical Excellence in Dentistry. King’s College London
- 2006 Student Elective Prize British Association of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery (BAPRAS)
- 2006 MBBS, awarded with Distinction in clinical medicine and Honours, St George’s Hospital Medical School
- 2005 Wellcome Trust vacation scholarship, Department of Anatomy St George’s Hospital Medical School
Professional Experience
- 12/2025 – Present Consultant, Azara International Facial Plastic Surgery
- 04/2025 – 12/2025 Fellow, Azara International Facial Plastic Surgery
- 08/2024 – 04/2025 Substantive Consultant, Royal Surrey Hospital, Head and neck reconstructive surgery
- 07/2023 – 07/2024 Fellow, Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, Head and Neck Reconstructive Microsurgery, Sydney
- 10/2022 – 07/2023 Locum Consultant, Royal Surrey Hospital, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
- 04/2021 – 10/2022 Specialist Registrar, Royal Surrey Hospital, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
- 04/2019 – 04/2021 Specialist Registrar, Queen Victoria Hospital, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
- 10/2017 – 10/2019 Specialist Registrar, Royal Surrey Hospital, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
- 10/2016 – 09/2017 LAS SpR, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
- 10/2015 – 09/2016 Career break 40,000 mile Vintage Motorcycle Expedition from Argentina to Alaska
- 10/2014 – 10/2015 Core Surgical Training, St. George’s Hospital, Plastic surgery (6 months), (Year two) Orthopaedic Surgery (6 months)
- 10/2013 – 10/2014 Core Surgical Training, St. George’s Hospital, Neurosurgery (4 months), (Year one) ENT surgery (4 months), Plastic surgery (4 months)
- 05/2013 – 09/2013 Medical Officer, Edendale Hospital, SATrauma Surgery
- 10/2012 – 03/2013 Specialist Registrar (LAS), John Radcliffe Hospital, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
- 10/2008 – 10/2012 Clinical Fellow, King’s College Hospital OMFS – Emergency/Trauma/Head and Neck
- 08/2007 – 08/2008 Foundation Year 2, St. George’s Hospital, Intensive Care, London ENT surgery, A&E
- 08/2006 – 08/2007 Foundation Year 1, St. Richard’s Hospital Upper GI surgery, Orthopaedic surgery, Chichester Cardiology/medicine
Publications
- 2025 BOOK CHAPTER: Complications in Facelift surgery. Bray D, van Gijn D
- 2024 BOOK CHAPTER: Anatomy of the orbit in Gray’s Surgical Anatomy 2nd Edition
- 2023 BOOK CHAPTER: Management of benign and malignant skin lesions in Bailey and Love’s Essential Operations in oral and maxillofacial surgery
- 2022 Are tie-over bolster dressings necessary for healing or success of full thickness skin graft reconstruction following facial skin cancer excision.
Armstrong D, van Gijn D, Newlands C. BJOMS - 2021 TEXTBOOK: Oxford Handbook of Head and Neck Anatomy (Oxford University Press 2022).
Van Gijn D R (Principle author), Professor Susan Standring MBE (Consultant Editor) - 2019 Free flap head and neck reconstruction with an emphasis on postoperative care.
van Gijn D R, D’Souza J, King W, Bater M. Facial Plastic Surgery 34(06): 597-604 (doi:10.10552/s-0038-1676076 - 2018 Use of ultrasound-activated resorbable sheets and pins in the management of fractures of the condylar neck of the mandible: a case series.
McLeod NM, van Gijn D R BJOMS (10.1016/j.bjoms.2018.01.003) - 2017 Hypopigmentation of the dorsum of the hand following steroid injection for Trigger finger.
JPRAS (doi 10.1016/j.jpra. 2016.12.002) van Gijn D R, Dunne J, Fleming A - 2016 An audit of surgical departmental audits.
Letter Royal College of Surgeons Bulletin (Accepted for publication) - 2016 National prospective cohort study of peritonsillar abscess management and outcomes: the Multicentre Audit of Quinsies study.
J Laryngol Otol. 2016 Aug;130(8):768-76. Collaborator in ENT Trainee Research Collaborative - 2014 BOOK CHAPTER: Tips and Tricks for GP Trainees in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.
In The Good GP Training Guide by Matt Burkes and Alec Logan. Published 2014 RCGP. ISBN 9780850843484 - 2013 The Incidence and Patterns of Mandibular Fractures during a 5-year Period in a London Teaching Hospital.
Rashid A, van Gijn D R, Fan, K
British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery - 2013 Variation in TCS phenotype: Splice site versus missions mutations
van Gijn D R, Tucker A, Cobourne M
British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (doi.org/10.1016/j.bjoms.2012.12.002) - 2012 Craniofacial development: The molecular basis of Treacher Collins syndrome
van Gijn D R, Tucker A, Cobourne M
British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery doi: 10.1016/j.bjoms.2012.09.008 - 2012 Tips and Tricks for GP Trainees in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
van Gijn D R British Journal of General Practice doi: 10.3399/bjgp12X616490 - 2011 Denominations
van Gijn D R
British Dental Journal doi: 10.1038/sj.bdj.2011.156 - 2011 Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery: A case of mistaken identity?
van Gijn D R British Dental Journal doi: 10.1038/sj.bdj.2010.1180 - 2009 An unusual case of acute facial swelling
van Gijn D R
British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery doi:10.1016/j.bjoms.2009.07.027 - 2008 An unusual case of tracheal stenosis following percutaneous tracheostomy
Rourke TJ, van Gijn D R, Norris A, Odutoye T, Lee MSW. - January 2008 Otolaryngology: Head and neck surgery
doi: 10.1016/j.otohns.2008.02.014
Presentations & Posters
- 2024 Radical Parotidectomy – A systematic approach to the 3D reconstruction of a complex and functional defect.
Accepted for presentation at BAOMS 2024, Oxford - 2022 Correlation between primary subsite and respective sentinel node location in head and neck melanoma – identifying a predictable lymphatic drainage pattern and reconstructive approach.
European Association for CranioMaxillofacial Facial Surgery. Madrid September 26-30th. Oral presentation. - 2022 Management of the parotid duct and prevention of associated complications in the ablation of buccal mucosal squamous cell carcinoma.
British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, Annual Scientific Meeting, London - 2022 From proposal to publication – the process of writing an academic textbook.
British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, Annual Scientific Meeting, London - 2020 A ten year retrospective review of serum lactate levels in patients undergoing surgery for head and neck cancer.
Accepted for poster presentation BAOMS 2020 - 2019 Ibrutinib – a novel risk factor in postoperative bleeding and haematoma formation
Poster Presentation BAOMS Conference. Birmingham 2019 - 2019 Microvascular Anastomosis Smartphone Training (MAST) – A portable alternative to microsurgical simulation.
Oral Presentation BAOMS International Conference. Birmingham July 2019 - 2018 An audit of OMFS outpatient utilisation – A comparison with guidelines and potential impact on training
Oral Presentation BAOMS International Conference. Durham June 2018 - 2018 Incorporating the reconstruction of the wide local excision and surgical approach(es) to SNB in Head and Neck Melanoma patients
Oral Presentation BAOMS International Conference. Durham June 2018 - 2015 Non-hand and wrist dog bites: A management algorithm BAPRAS Summer meeting
Bruges, Belgium June 2015 - 2011 Anatomy of a Craniofacial Haemangioma affecting the orbit
British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, Junior Trainees Group
Barts and the London Hospital, London - 2011 Acute presentation of Noma: From diagnosis to surgical reconstruction
Asian Congress on Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - 2010 The changing face of Mandibular fractures
British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (BAOMS)
Annual Scientific meeting, Manchester Central 26-28 May 2010 - 2010 Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery – A case of mistaken identity?
Oral Presentation, British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (BAOMS),
Junior Trainees Group conference, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford 29-31st January 2010 - 2009 The Anatomy of the Nasendoscope – in vivo images with cadaveric correlate
Poster presentation 19th International Conference on Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
(ICOMS) Shanghai, China 24th-27th May 2009 - 2009 Flexible naso-laryngoscopy: Where am I?
Oral Presentation BAOMS Junior Trainees Group conference
Royal Surrey County Hospital, Guildford 16th-17th January 2009 - 2008 Dilemmas in the management of sinonasal adenocarcinoma
Oral presentation British Association Head and Neck Oncologists (BAHNO)
Royal College of Physicians (April 25th 2008) - 2008 Adenocarcinoma of the nose and paranasal sinuses
Oral and Poster presentation 3rd European conference on Head and neck surgery.
Zagreb, Croatia, May 8th – 10th 2008 - 2008 Poster presentation American Association of Head and Neck Surgeons
San Francisco, July 19th – 22nd 2008
Associations & Memberships
- Royal College of Surgeons of England
- Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland
- British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
- General Medical Council
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