CME INDIA Presentation by ⚜ Dr. M. Gowri Sankar, MD, Senior Assistant Professor, Dept. of General Medicine, Government Medical College and ESI Hospital, Coimbatore.
Today’s History Feature:
Sir Archibald McIndoe
(May 4, 1900 – April 11, 1960)
💠New Zealand born British Plastic surgeon
💠Pioneer of Post Burn Reconstruction
His contributions…
🔹McIndoe completed his medical graduation from the University of Otago, New Zealand in 1924. Then he did his Fellowship in Mayo clinic and in American College of Surgeons.
🔹After his studies, he started working with his cousin Dr. Harold Gillies (Father of Modern Plastic Surgery) at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, London in 1931.
🔹Both of them pioneered many new techniques in Plastic surgery. The duo were celebrated as the greatest partnership of 20th century in surgery.
🔹During the Second World War, Dr. McIndoe was appointed as a Plastic surgeon at Queens Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead (UK), where he established an exclusive Department for Plastic and Jaw Surgery.
🔹There, he treated hundreds of young pilots, who were heavily injured in plane crashes with deep burns and facial disfigurements.
🔹While treating the pilots, Dr. McIndoe observed the effective outcome of the skin graft on those who were badly burnt and fell in the Atlantic Ocean. He then converted his observation into the development of Saline Bath.
🔹By applying saline bath on the wound and skin graft, he found that his job of making the patient’s burnt face into a new face became easier. Further, he successfully invented many new surgical techniques to rebuild unrecognisable faces caused by burns.
🔹In fact, he performed around 4,500 surgeries on heroic young pilots and also perfectly implemented the psycho-social rehabilitation in terms to bring them back into normal life.
🔹Further, he created a rehabilitation camp for treated victims – The Guinea Pig Club, where he restored their minds by creating a happy atmosphere.
🔹Also Dr. McIndoe voluntarily called the local people and encouraged them to invite the treated patients to their home. In the club, Dr. McIndoe was called as “The Boss or The Maestro.”
🔹His Eponyms…
🔅 McIndoe supercut scissors.
🔅 McIndoe (non-toothed) dissecting forceps / tweezer.
🔅 McIndoe wound retractor.
🔅 McIndoe bone cutting forceps.
🔅 McIndoe cleft palate raspatory.
🔅 McIndoe rongeur.
🔅 McIndoe chisel.
🔅 McIndoe incision.
🔅 McIndoe vaginoplasty.
🔹To commemorate his dedicated work Dr. McIndoe’s bronze statue was unveiled along with the survivors of Guinea pig members in East Grinstead High Street in 2014.
🔹Actually, the sculptor Martin Jennings’ father was one of the Dr. McIndoe’s patient and a member of the Guinea Pig Club.
A Day to Commemorate…
The Maverick Surgeon
The Boss
Sir Archibald McIndoe 🙏🏼
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