Harold Gillies London otolaryngologist, considered the father of modern plastic surgery Date of Birth: 17.06.1882 Country: Great Britain

1. Sir Harold Delf Gillies: Pioneer of Plastic Surgery
2. Early Life and Education
3. Wartime Innovations
4. Royal Free Hospital
5. Post-War Work
6. Gender Reassignment Surgery
7. Legacy

Sir Harold Delf Gillies: Pioneer of Plastic Surgery

Sir Harold Delf Gillies (1882-1960), a London-based otolaryngologist, is widely considered the father of modern plastic surgery. He was instrumental in developing techniques to restore "lost faces" to soldiers disfigured in World War I and later performed groundbreaking gender reassignment surgeries.

Early Life and Education

Gillies was born in Dunedin, New Zealand, in 1882. He moved to London to study medicine at Cambridge University, where he excelled athletically despite an elbow condition. As a sportsman, he played university-level golf and competed in the 1904 Boat Race.

Wartime Innovations

With the outbreak of World War I, Gillies joined the British Army Medical Service. His encounter with French-American dentist Valadier, who was experimenting with nascent skin grafting techniques, inspired Gillies. Later, in Paris, he witnessed Hippolyte Morestin close a facial wound with a skin flap from the patient's arm.

Encouraged by these experiences, Gillies convinced British Army Surgeon General Sir William Arbuthnot Lane to establish a dedicated facial injury unit at Cambridge Military Hospital in Aldershot in 1916. With his team, Gillies developed numerous plastic surgery methods, treating over 5,000 soldiers with facial injuries and burns.

Royal Free Hospital

In 1917, Gillies established the new 1,000-bed Queen's Hospital in Sidcup. Here, his team perfected many plastic surgery techniques, contributing significantly to the field. Gillies was knighted in 1930 for his wartime service.

Post-War Work

After World War I, Gillies established a successful private practice with Arthur Rainsford Mowlem. He traveled extensively, lectured, and taught, promoting advancements in plastic surgery. In 1930, he invited his cousin Archibald McIndoe to join him at St. Bartholomew's Hospital, where McIndoe later made important contributions in reconstructive surgery during World War II.

Gender Reassignment Surgery

In 1946, Gillies and a colleague performed one of the first female-to-male gender reassignment surgeries on Michael Dillon. To conceal the gender-correcting procedures, Gillies "diagnosed" Dillon with severe hypospadias. In 1951, he helped pioneer male-to-female gender reassignment surgery with a vaginoplasty on Roberta Cowell.

Legacy

Sir Harold Gillies died in 1960 at the age of 78. His work laid the foundation for modern plastic surgery and continues to inspire surgeons to this day. His prolific career included over 11,000 operations, numerous publications, and significant contributions to patient care and education.