Charles Fries, MD

Anton Fries, MD, PHD, is an associate professor of plastic surgery at The University of Texas Health Science Center, and also serves as the division chief of plastic and reconstructive surgery. He received his medical degree from the University of Cambridge and served for 20 years as a medical officer in the Royal Navy. He retired at the rank of surgeon commander, having deployed across the globe, including two combat tours in Afghanistan.

During his plastic surgery residency, he performed pre-clinical research at the United States Army Institute of Surgical Research in San Antonio, leading to the award of his PhD. In Taipei, he completed the world-renowned microsurgical fellowship at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, which included training in lymphatic super-microsurgery, breast cancer reconstruction, complex head and neck reconstruction and hand transplantation. He was awarded his master’s in Reconstructive Microsurgery from Chang Gung University, Taipei.

On completion of his training, he joined the faculty of Oxford University Hospitals in the UK. In 2020 he was appointed at UT Health San Antonio, where he established the Lymphedema Surgery Program for the treatment of cancer-related lymphedema.

Fries has published over 60 peer-reviewed research papers and book chapters and won several research awards. His clinical interests are in microvascular reconstruction, including lymphatic super-microsurgery. He is surgical advisor to the charity Operation Restore Hope, and has completed six annual surgical missions to the Philippines to perform cleft lip and palate surgeries.