They say, “Necessity is the mother of invention.” Difficult or challenging situations often inspire ingenious solutions, and warfare, for better or worse (or much worse), is sadly no exception. In his new book, Reconstructing Faces: The Art and Wartime Surgery of Gillies, Pickerill, McIndoe and Mowlem author Murray C. Meikle has written a fascinating account of World War I and World War II and the influential role the wars played in the development of plastic and maxillofacial surgery during the first half of the 20th century.
In a recent interview with HealthCanal, Meikle (author of Craniofacial Development, Growth and Evolutions) further explains the catalyst for these medical revolutions. “The First World War presented surgeons with a new challenge,” says the author. “No one, including the British Army, was quite prepared for the slaughter that occurred on an industrial scale in Northern France and Flanders … 15 percent of all soldiers who survived had received facial injuries. Despite the best efforts of surgeons, many soldiers were left hideously disfigured. A new kind of surgery was required.”
Incorporating fascinating new research, Meikle examines four of the most vital figures involved in this astonishing time in medical history: Sir Harold Gillies, Rainsford Mowlem, Sir Archibald McIndoe, and Henry Pickerill. These men transformed the fields of plastic surgery and facial trauma treatment. Recognizing the virtually unprecedented amount of damage and injuries exposed to soldiers and civilians, these men began to develop and innovate and hone the techniques that would become the keystones of modern facial surgery. These operations and procedures ultimately revolutionized the plastic and maxillofacial surgery of today.
In our so-called modern age of medical innovation and technical advancement, it is sometimes easy to forget the foundations of corrective surgery. Plastic surgery has come a long way from the turn of the twentieth century.
In moments of extraordinary conflict, there are often ordinary people who rise above and contribute something great to achieve a better means for all. Even something as unnecessary as modern war produces needs that must be addressed. Murray C. Meikle’s Reconstructing Faces: The Art and Wartime Surgery of Gillies, Pickerill, McIndoe and Mowlem focuses on the individuals who sought out to help two generations of suffering people returning from war and ended up pioneering corrective surgery for every generation to come.
If you are interested in learning more about corrective or reconstructive surgery, please contact our team of representatives today. They will assist you in scheduling a consultation with a board-certified doctor in your area.