sub-specialities
- Cleft Lip and Palate (including adults)
- Skin biopsies, skin grafts, skin flaps
- Congenital conditions, including tongue tie
- Vascular birthmarks and anomalies (adults and children)
- Scars and scar revision, closure of wounds
- Hypospadias (including adults)
- Moles, birthmarks, cysts, skin tags
- Ear anomalies & prominent ears (adults and children)
- Lipomas & other lumps, or lesions (adults and children)
- Nose surgery (rhinoplasty or septorhinoplasty)
- Pressure ulcers (pressure sores)
- 22q11 deletion syndrome
Training & Background
| Qualifications: | FRCS (Plastic Surgery), BMBS, BMedSci, MA |
| Year first qualified: | 1997 |
| GMC number: | 4430777 |
| Clinic times: | By appointment |
Mr Thorburn graduated from Nottingham University Medical School in 1997. His initial surgical and plastic surgery training took place at hospitals in the Midlands and North West, before moving to London for specialist registrar training.
This included paediatric plastic surgery training at Great Ormond Street and time at The St Andrew’s Centre, a respected, specialist burns and plastic surgery unit.
Mr Thorburn undertook the National Interface Training Fellowship in Cleft Lip and Palate Surgery, at Birmingham Children’s Hospital. He then returned to the capital, to complete an Aesthetic Fellowship at the London Clinic.
In 2010, he entered the GMC’s Specialist Register for Plastic surgery. Consultant appointments followed, with Mr Thorburn able to offer a wide range of expertise in adult and paediatric plastic surgery.
He specialises in cleft lip and palate, or other facial reconstruction, ear anomalies, nasal surgery, vascular anomalies, haemangiomas and hypospadias.
The way he offers this treatment reflects his interest in medical ethics and law. Mr Thorburn holds an MA from the University of Manchester Law School and has sat on the General Medical Council’s fitness to practise panels.
He is a member of leading medical ethics groups and has contributed to improving clinical outcomes, receiving commendations for his evidence based practice.
A reflection of the empathy and compassion Mr Thorburn brings to his work. Whether treating adults, or children, his approach matches the needs of each patient.
Research & Teaching
Mr Thorburn’s main research interests are in cleft lip and palate, vascular anomalies and patient centred clinical outcomes. He regularly publishes journal articles and book chapters, along with presenting at scientific meetings.
He is Chair of the Surgical Network of the Craniofacial Society of Great Britain & Ireland and surgical representative on the council of the Craniofacial Society.
He has worked with the International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement, founded by Harvard Business School and Boston Consulting Group, to develop their first paediatric dataset.
Mr Thorburn enjoys being a teacher for plastic surgery trainees from the UK and overseas. He is a supervisor for National Interface Training Fellows in cleft lip and palate.
He regularly lectures on undergraduate and postgraduate courses, along with FRCS exam preparation courses for senior trainees.
Membership & Awards
- Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England
- Craniofacial Society of Great Britain & Ireland
- Oxford University Hospitals Clinical Ethics Advisory Group
- The Institute for Medical Ethics and The Children’s Ethics & Law Special Interest Group
- Awarded a patient safety and quality improvement grant for his work on improving clinical outcomes, by The Health Foundation
