Sir Harold Gillies

Sir Harold Gillies. A pioneering New Zealander surgeon, he is universally acclaimed as the father of modern plastic surgery. His revolutionary work, developed to treat the horrific facial injuries of soldiers during the First World War, established foundational techniques and principles that transformed the field. Gillies founded the world's first hospital dedicated to facial reconstruction and later trained a generation of surgeons, including his cousin Archibald McIndoe, who continued his legacy through the Second World War.

Early life and education

Harold Delf Gillies was born in Dunedin, New Zealand, to a family with a strong background in engineering. He was educated at Wanganui Collegiate School before traveling to England for his university studies. He attended Caius College, Cambridge, where he excelled in sports, particularly golf and rowing, and earned a degree in medicine. He completed his clinical training at the prestigious St Bartholomew's Hospital in London, qualifying as a surgeon in 1908. Initially specializing in otolaryngology, he worked under renowned surgeons like Sir Milsom Rees and developed an interest in reconstructive procedures.

World War I and pioneering plastic surgery

At the outbreak of the First World War, Gillies joined the Royal Army Medical Corps. Shocked by the unprecedented number of severe maxillofacial injuries caused by modern artillery and trench warfare, he traveled to France to study the nascent techniques of French dentist Charles Valadier and surgeon Hippolyte Morestin. Convinced of the need for specialized care, he persuaded the British Army authorities to establish a dedicated unit. In 1917, he opened the first dedicated plastic surgery hospital at the Queen's Hospital in Sidcup, Kent. There, he and his multidisciplinary team, which included dentists like Valadier and artists like Henry Tonks, developed groundbreaking procedures such as the tubed pedicle flap, meticulously documented in his seminal 1920 textbook, *Plastic Surgery of the Face*.

Interwar period and professional development

Following the Armistice, Gillies established a highly successful private practice in London, treating both congenital defects and traumatic injuries. He played a pivotal role in founding the professional society that would become the British Association of Plastic Surgeons and was a key figure at institutions like St Bartholomew's Hospital and the St James' Hospital in Balham. During this period, he continued to innovate, performing one of the earliest female-to-male phalloplasty procedures and advancing techniques for cleft lip and palate repair. He also mentored future leaders in the field, most notably his cousin Archibald McIndoe, whom he encouraged to specialize in plastic surgery.

World War II and later career

With the advent of the Second World War, Gillies' expertise was again in high demand. He served as a consultant to the Royal Air Force and the British Army, and his protégé McIndoe famously treated severely burned RAF aircrew at the Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead. Gillies himself worked at Rooksdown House near Basingstoke, part of the Park Prewett Hospital, and continued to develop new methods for jaw reconstruction. After the war, he remained an active surgeon and teacher, contributing to the establishment of the National Health Service and continuing his international lecturing. He also authored, with colleague Ralph Millard, the comprehensive text *The Principles and Art of Plastic Surgery*.

Legacy and honours

Sir Harold Gillies' legacy is profound and enduring. He transformed plastic surgery from an empirical craft into a respected surgical discipline based on sound anatomical principles. His teaching influenced countless surgeons worldwide, and the units he founded set the standard for multidisciplinary care. For his services, he was appointed a Knight Bachelor in the 1930 New Year Honours and was also a Commander of the Order of St John. His life and work have been the subject of numerous historical studies, documentaries, and exhibitions, cementing his reputation as a visionary healer who restored both form and function to thousands of patients. The annual Gillies Memorial Lecture is given in his honour by the British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons.

Category:New Zealand surgeons Category:Plastic surgeons Category:1882 births Category:1960 deaths