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AROUND 40 million people were wounded or killed in the first world war. 鈥淔or the first time鈥� Europe鈥檚 military technology had wildly surpassed its medical capabilities,鈥� writes historian Lindsey Fitzharris in her informative book, The Facemaker.
Fitzharris introduces us to . By 1917, he had become the world鈥檚 pre-eminent specialist in plastic surgery, developing techniques still used today like the 鈥渂ishop鈥檚 mitre flap鈥� for the nose, or the 鈥渢ubed pedicle鈥� for severe burns.
Plastic surgery in the 19th century was crude, with masks generally used to cover scarring. Gillies travelled to various countries to shadow doctors and dentists whose methods had reached him. After war broke out, soldiers with severe facial injuries streamed to him at his institution, The Queen鈥檚 Hospital in Sidcup, UK.
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One patient, Sidney Beldam, was struck by a piece of shrapnel, slicing through the right side of his face and tearing off a large portion of his nose. Gillies reopened the hastily sewn-up wound and sutured a flap of healthy tissue to 鈥渇ill out the cheek鈥�. Beldam would then undergo 39 more operations to repair his nose from scratch.
Fitzharris portrays Gillies as forward-thinking for recognising that this burgeoning medical field required a multidisciplinary approach and hiring doctors, dentists, sculptors and artists in his pursuit. She paints a powerful portrait of a gifted man.
