05 September 2025
The Right Reverend Christopher Chessun, Bishop of Southwark Cathedral, experienced a life-changing event in September 2024. During what should have been a routine taxi journey, his vehicle came to an abrupt halt. He did not. In the impact, he sustained devastating facial injuries – breaking almost every bone in his face apart from the mandible when he struck the taxi’s windscreen.
He was transferred to the specialist Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery (OMFS) trauma team at King’s College Hospital, under the care of then BAOMS President Professor Kathy Fan and her colleagues. Despite the complexity of his injuries – described as being “like cornflakes” – the team successfully reconstructed his face.
Almost a year later, the Rt Revd Chessun spoke to a BBC journalist about his ordeal. You can watch the interview here. Both he and Professor Fan reflected on the face as central to identity, and on the profound importance of restoring it when it is tragically destroyed by trauma.
Remarkably, the Bishop returned to work at Southwark Cathedral just three months later – in time to celebrate Christmas with his congregation.
As Professor Fan said:
“I have a pretty amazing job. I always think it's a real privilege to work on people’s faces: people trust us.”
This is what we do.
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