World War I
Queen Mary's Hospital of Sidcup, opened at the tail end of the war, proved enormously important for soldiers disfigured from battle. The idea/practice of facial reconstruction was a focal point of the hospital. While the process of taking the living skin of a man and using it to reconstruct his features was not new, the procedure was refined and immensly improved. Queen Mary's was also home to Harold Gillies, who is widely considered the father of plastic surgery. Gillies focused much of his attention on facial reconstruction, emphasizing his approach to making the patient look as close to their old selves as possible. He treated both jaw and facial mutations, refusing to take on a patient simply for "cosmetic" purposes, and by the end of his carrer at the hospital had performed over 1,100 reconstructive operations.
World War II
The advancement of reconstructive surgery continued in World War II with Dr. Archibald McIndoe. McIndoe's surgeries focused mainly on soldiers who suffered from injuries known as "airman's burn." These injuries were sustained when the highly flammable fuel inside the gas tank exploded as a result of enemy fire, leaving the pilots with horrific injuries that required rigorous reconstruction of the hands and face. McIndoe's patients were known as the "Guinea Pig Club" because the procedures performed on them were experimental trials whose outcome not even McIndoe could guarantee. In exchange for McIndoe's treatment, patients staying at his hospital were required to go out and interact with the community. This allowed soldiers to get used to their disfigurement and the reactions of the general public while allowing them to remain active and provide a distraction from the horror of their injuries and the long road to recovery ahead of them. McIndoe's revolutionary approach to reconstructive surgery opened the door to modern reconstructive surgery practices and the rehabilitation of patients that still inspired doctors today.
Queen Mary's Hospital of Sidcup, opened at the tail end of the war, proved enormously important for soldiers disfigured from battle. The idea/practice of facial reconstruction was a focal point of the hospital. While the process of taking the living skin of a man and using it to reconstruct his features was not new, the procedure was refined and immensly improved. Queen Mary's was also home to Harold Gillies, who is widely considered the father of plastic surgery. Gillies focused much of his attention on facial reconstruction, emphasizing his approach to making the patient look as close to their old selves as possible. He treated both jaw and facial mutations, refusing to take on a patient simply for "cosmetic" purposes, and by the end of his carrer at the hospital had performed over 1,100 reconstructive operations.
World War II
The advancement of reconstructive surgery continued in World War II with Dr. Archibald McIndoe. McIndoe's surgeries focused mainly on soldiers who suffered from injuries known as "airman's burn." These injuries were sustained when the highly flammable fuel inside the gas tank exploded as a result of enemy fire, leaving the pilots with horrific injuries that required rigorous reconstruction of the hands and face. McIndoe's patients were known as the "Guinea Pig Club" because the procedures performed on them were experimental trials whose outcome not even McIndoe could guarantee. In exchange for McIndoe's treatment, patients staying at his hospital were required to go out and interact with the community. This allowed soldiers to get used to their disfigurement and the reactions of the general public while allowing them to remain active and provide a distraction from the horror of their injuries and the long road to recovery ahead of them. McIndoe's revolutionary approach to reconstructive surgery opened the door to modern reconstructive surgery practices and the rehabilitation of patients that still inspired doctors today.
A skin graft attached from a soldier's nose to his arm |
Members of the Guinea Pig Club
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