Professor Simon Holmes
PhD, FDSRCS, FRCS (OMFS)
Professor of Craniofacial Traumatology & Consultant Maxillofacial Surgeon
Facial trauma is never just physical. It carries profound personal, psychological, and social consequences — particularly when disfigurement, loss of function, or failed earlier surgery are involved. At such moments, patients, clinicians, and legal advocates alike need not just a skilled surgeon, but a deeply experienced, specialised expert who can guide reconstruction with clarity, precision and compassion. I have spent over two decades at the forefront of complex facial trauma surgery — treating thousands of patients with primary and secondary injuries involving the face, orbit, jaw and skull base. As Professor of Craniofacial Traumatology at Queen Mary University of London and Consultant Maxillofacial Surgeon at Barts Health NHS Trust, I lead one of the UK's busiest and most advanced trauma services.
Complex Secondary Trauma & Revision Surgery
Many patients come to me after previous trauma surgery has failed — due to poor alignment, ongoing pain, asymmetry, scarring, or diplopia. I specialise in managing these cases, using advanced imaging, 3D planning, and digital surgical workflows to restore both form and function. This includes orbital reconstruction, zygomatic and midface recontouring, mandibular revision, and correction of traumatic deformities.
Scar Revision & Soft Tissue Optimisation
Scarring — particularly facial — is deeply personal. I work with patients to revise and optimise scars using both surgical and non-surgical techniques. Where appropriate, I combine scar revision with structural correction to address underlying asymmetry or contracture. I have published extensively on this topic, and authored textbook chapters that guide other surgeons on facial soft tissue management after trauma.
Multidisciplinary Reconstructive Care
No facial injury exists in isolation. My approach always considers vision, occlusion, facial expression, airway and aesthetics together. My NHS work is embedded in a team of specialists, and I bring the same coordinated approach to private care — liaising closely with ophthalmologists, ENT, neurologists, dentists and therapists to ensure optimal outcomes.
Medico-Legal & Expert Witness
I regularly provide expert opinion and medico-legal reports for complex facial injuries, delayed diagnosis, surgical complications, or functional loss after trauma. I am instructed by both claimant and defence teams in the UK and internationally, offering authoritative analysis grounded in clinical experience, research, and a clear, unbiased reporting style.
Research & Academic Leadership
I hold a PhD focused on anterior skull base trauma and have authored over 150 peer-reviewed articles, including high-impact research on orbital surgery, trauma scoring, and infection risk in maxillofacial injuries. I am co-author of four major surgical textbooks, including the BMJ Surgical Book of the Year, and a contributor to Gray's Anatomy, Scott-Brown's ENT, and Bailey & Love. I lead the UK's first MSc in Craniofacial Trauma and Reconstruction, and lecture internationally at ICOMS, EACMFS, IAOMS, and Royal College of Surgeons courses.
Areas of Expertise
- Complex primary and secondary facial trauma
- Orbital reconstruction and correction of diplopia
- Zygomatic and midface recontouring
- Mandibular revision surgery
- Scar revision and soft tissue optimisation
- Anterior skull base injury management
- Medico-legal reporting and expert witness
Published Research
Craniomaxillofacial Trauma & Reconstruction, 2026
Frontal Sinus Fractures: An Evaluation of Injury Parameters and Operative Variables on Surgical Outcomes
George Cove, Declan Hughes, Christopher Zerafa, Simon Holmes
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British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, 2025
Open Management of Condylar Head Fractures. The First 50 Cases: What Have We Learnt and Where Are We Going?
Nabeel Bhatti, Hussein Mohamedbhai, Ximan Poon, Pippasha Khan, Frederic Van der Cruyssen, Simon Holmes
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British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, 2024
How Good is Good Enough? Lessons Learned from Review of Outcomes of 50 Patients Following Extraoral Open Reduction and Internal Fixation of Condylar Neck and Base Fractures at a Regional Major Trauma Centre
Julian Leow, Rebecca Exley, Simon Holmes, Nabeel Bhatti
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British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, 2023
Quantitative Analysis of Diplopia Following Orbital Fracture Repair
Declan Hughes, Joe McQuillan, Simon Holmes
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BMC Health Services Research, 2026
Barriers to Domestic Violence Disclosure in Healthcare Settings: A Scoping Review of Victim and Provider Perspectives
Tamana Barakati, Manu R. Mathur, Manas Dave, Mohammad I. Farook, Simon Holmes, Ali Golkari, Ania Korszun, Mohammad S. A. Alshammari, Paul Coulthard
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Craniomaxillofacial Trauma & Reconstruction, 2025
Quantitative and Qualitative Symmetry Analysis of Open Reduction and Fixation of Zygomatic Complex Fractures
Frederic Van der Cruyssen, Mathilda Wylde, Anthony Campbell, Ali Reza Pourkarim, Zeeshan Ahmad, Nabeel Bhatti, Simon Holmes
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British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, 2025
Sagacity of surgical selectivity: a retrospective analysis of occlusal outcome and intermaxillary fixation use in midface fracture fixation
D Hughes, R Fussell, N Bhatti, S Holmes, R Davies
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Journal of Craniofacial Surgery, 2021
Orbital Bone Fractures in a Central London Trauma Center: A Retrospective Study of 582 Patients
J Moffatt, D Hughes, N Bhatti, SB Holmes
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British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, 2016
Management of Complex Orbital Fractures
N Bhatti, A Kanzaria, N Huxham-Owen, C Bridle, S Holmes
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