Archibald McIndoe
Encyclopedia
Sir Archibald McIndoe CBE FRCS
(4 May 1900 — 11 April 1960) was a pioneering New Zealand plastic surgeon
who worked for the Royal Air Force
during World War II
. He greatly improved the treatment and rehabilitation of badly burned aircrew.
, New Zealand
, into a family of four. His father was John McIndoe, a printer and his mother was the artist Mabel McIndoe née Hill
. McIndoe studied at Otago Boys' High School
and later medicine at the University of Otago
. After his graduation he became a house surgeon at Waikato Hospital
. On 31 July 1924 he married Adonia Aitken; they later had two daughters.
In 1924 McIndoe was awarded a fellowship at the Mayo Clinic
in the United States
to study pathological anatomy. He worked in the clinic as First Assistant in Pathological Anatomy 1925-1927 and published several papers on chronic liver
disease. Impressed with his skill, Lord Moynihan suggested a career in England, and in 1930 McIndoe moved to London.
When McIndoe could not find work, his cousin Sir Harold Gillies
, a plastic surgeon, invited him to join the private practice he ran with Rainsford Mowlem and offered him a job at St Bartholomew's Hospital
, where he became a clinical assistant. In 1932 McIndoe received a permanent appointment as a General Surgeon and Lecturer at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases
and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
In 1934, McIndoe received a Fellowship of the American College of Surgeons
, where he worked until 1939. That year he became a consulting plastic surgeon to the Royal North Stafford Infirmary
and to Croydon General Hospital. In 1938 he was appointed consultant in plastic surgery to the Royal Air Force
.
The McIndoe Burns Centre at his former base, Queen Victoria Hospital
, East Grinstead
, was dedicated in 1994, and there is a burns victim support group centred there which also bears his name.
broke out plastic surgery was largely divided on service lines. Gillies went to Rooksdown House
near Basingstoke
, which became the principal army plastic surgery unit; Tommy Kilner (who had worked with Gillies during the First World War) went to Queen Mary's Hospital, Roehampton, and Mowlem to St Albans. McIndoe moved to the recently rebuilt Queen Victoria Hospital
in East Grinstead
, Sussex
, and founded a Centre for Plastic and Jaw Surgery. There, he treated very deep burns and serious facial disfigurement like loss of eyelids. Patients at the hospital formed the Guinea Pig Club
. Among the better known members of his "club" were Richard Hillary
and Jimmy Edwards
.
McIndoe was a brilliant and quick surgeon. He not only developed new techniques for treating badly burned faces and hands but also recognised the importance of the rehabilitation of the casualties and particularly of social reintegration back into normal life. He disposed of the "convalescent uniforms" and let the patients use their service uniforms instead. With the help of two friends, Neville and Elaine Blond, he also convinced the locals to support the patients and invite them to their homes. McIndoe kept referring to them as "his boys" and the staff called him "The Boss" or "The Maestro".
Important work included development of the walking-stalk skin graft
, and the discovery that immersion in saline
promoted healing as well as improving survival rates for victims with extensive burns - this was a serendipitous discovery drawn from observation of differential healing rates in pilots who had come down on land and in the sea.
in 1944 and after the war he received a number of British and foreign honours, including a Commandeur de la Légion d'honneur
(Commander of the Legion of Honor) and a knighthood in 1947 for his remarkable work on restoring the minds and bodies of the burnt young pilots of World War II through his innovative reconstructive surgery techniques. That same year he visited East Africa for the first time, and took up farming on Kilimanjaro. It was here in 1956 with his two former pupils, Michael Wood and Tom Rees, that the dream of AMREF was born.
He became a member of a council of the Royal College of Surgeons
in 1946 and its president in 1958. His marriage to Adonia ended in 1953, and he married Constance Belcham in 1954. In 1958 McIndoe was a Bradshaw lecturer about facial burns, a subject he knew well. He took part in the founding of the British Association of Plastic Surgeons (BAPS) and later served as its third President.
Archibald McIndoe died on 11 April 1960, aged 59, in his sleep. He was cremated, and his ashes were buried in the Royal Air Force church of St Clement Danes
just after helping set up AMREF in the UK.
On 22 March 1961, the British Minister of Health
opened the Blond McIndoe Centre named in his honour at the Queen Victoria Hospital
, East Grinstead. The Blond McIndoe Centre, now named the Blond McIndoe Research Foundation, continues research into pioneering treatments to improve wound healing.The Blond McIndoe Research Foundation is a registered charity which recently celebrated its 50th Anniversary.
Royal College of Surgeons of England
The Royal College of Surgeons of England is an independent professional body and registered charity committed to promoting and advancing the highest standards of surgical care for patients, regulating surgery, including dentistry, in England and Wales...
(4 May 1900 — 11 April 1960) was a pioneering New Zealand plastic surgeon
Plastic surgery
Plastic surgery is a medical specialty concerned with the correction or restoration of form and function. Though cosmetic or aesthetic surgery is the best-known kind of plastic surgery, most plastic surgery is not cosmetic: plastic surgery includes many types of reconstructive surgery, hand...
who worked for the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He greatly improved the treatment and rehabilitation of badly burned aircrew.
Background
Archibald McIndoe was born 4 May 1900 in DunedinDunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, into a family of four. His father was John McIndoe, a printer and his mother was the artist Mabel McIndoe née Hill
Mabel Hill
Mabel Hill was a New Zealand artist.She was born at Cox's Creek, Auckland, New Zealand, the youngest child of Charles Hill, a hatter, and his wife, Eliza Ann Hulbert. In 1875 the family including Mabel, her brother Alfred Hill and 7 other siblings moved to Wellington, New Zealand. Hill attended...
. McIndoe studied at Otago Boys' High School
Otago Boys' High School
Otago Boys' High School is one of New Zealand's oldest boys' secondary schools, located in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand. It was founded on 3 August 1863 and moved to its present site in 1885. The main building was designed by Robert Lawson and is regarded as one of the finest Gothic revival...
and later medicine at the University of Otago
University of Otago
The University of Otago in Dunedin is New Zealand's oldest university with over 22,000 students enrolled during 2010.The university has New Zealand's highest average research quality and in New Zealand is second only to the University of Auckland in the number of A rated academic researchers it...
. After his graduation he became a house surgeon at Waikato Hospital
Waikato Hospital
Waikato Hospital is a major regional hospital in Hamilton, New Zealand. It provides specialised and emergency healthcare for the Midlands and Waikato area with patients referred there from feeder hospitals like Whakatane, Lakes area, Tauranga, Thames, Tokoroa and Rotorua.- Facilities :The hospital...
. On 31 July 1924 he married Adonia Aitken; they later had two daughters.
In 1924 McIndoe was awarded a fellowship at the Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a not-for-profit medical practice and medical research group specializing in treating difficult patients . Patients are referred to Mayo Clinic from across the U.S. and the world, and it is known for innovative and effective treatments. Mayo Clinic is known for being at the top of...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to study pathological anatomy. He worked in the clinic as First Assistant in Pathological Anatomy 1925-1927 and published several papers on chronic liver
Liver
The liver is a vital organ present in vertebrates and some other animals. It has a wide range of functions, including detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion...
disease. Impressed with his skill, Lord Moynihan suggested a career in England, and in 1930 McIndoe moved to London.
When McIndoe could not find work, his cousin Sir Harold Gillies
Harold Gillies
Sir Harold Delf Gillies was a New Zealand-born, and later London based, otolaryngologist who is widely considered as the father of plastic surgery.-Personal life:Gillies was born in Dunedin, New Zealand...
, a plastic surgeon, invited him to join the private practice he ran with Rainsford Mowlem and offered him a job at St Bartholomew's Hospital
St Bartholomew's Hospital
St Bartholomew's Hospital, also known as Barts, is a hospital in Smithfield in the City of London, England.-Early history:It was founded in 1123 by Raherus or Rahere , a favourite courtier of King Henry I...
, where he became a clinical assistant. In 1932 McIndoe received a permanent appointment as a General Surgeon and Lecturer at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases
Hospital for Tropical Diseases
The Hospital for Tropical Diseases is a specialist tropical disease hospital located in London, United Kingdom. It is part of the University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and is closely associated with University College London and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine...
and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
In 1934, McIndoe received a Fellowship of the American College of Surgeons
American College of Surgeons
The American College of Surgeons is an educational association of surgeons created in 1913 to improve the quality of care for the surgical patient by setting high standards for surgical education and practice.-Membership:...
, where he worked until 1939. That year he became a consulting plastic surgeon to the Royal North Stafford Infirmary
University Hospital of North Staffordshire
The University Hospital of North Staffordshire is a major teaching & research hospital in Hartshill, Stoke-on-Trent, England, near the border with Newcastle-under-Lyme...
and to Croydon General Hospital. In 1938 he was appointed consultant in plastic surgery to the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
.
The McIndoe Burns Centre at his former base, Queen Victoria Hospital
Queen Victoria Hospital
The Queen Victoria Hospital, located in East Grinstead, West Sussex, England is the specialist reconstructive surgery centre for the south east of England, and also provides services at clinics across the region. It has become world famous for its pioneering burns and plastic surgery. The hospital...
, East Grinstead
East Grinstead
East Grinstead is a town and civil parish in the northeastern corner of Mid Sussex, West Sussex in England near the East Sussex, Surrey, and Kent borders. It lies south of London, north northeast of Brighton, and east northeast of the county town of Chichester...
, was dedicated in 1994, and there is a burns victim support group centred there which also bears his name.
World War II
When World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
broke out plastic surgery was largely divided on service lines. Gillies went to Rooksdown House
Park Prewett
Park Prewett Hospital, also known as Park Prewett Mental Hospital, was a psychiatric hospital northwest of Basingstoke, in the county of Hampshire in England, which operated from 1917 until 1997. The hospital was designed by the noted asylum architect George T...
near Basingstoke
Basingstoke
Basingstoke is a town in northeast Hampshire, in south central England. It lies across a valley at the source of the River Loddon. It is southwest of London, northeast of Southampton, southwest of Reading and northeast of the county town, Winchester. In 2008 it had an estimated population of...
, which became the principal army plastic surgery unit; Tommy Kilner (who had worked with Gillies during the First World War) went to Queen Mary's Hospital, Roehampton, and Mowlem to St Albans. McIndoe moved to the recently rebuilt Queen Victoria Hospital
Queen Victoria Hospital
The Queen Victoria Hospital, located in East Grinstead, West Sussex, England is the specialist reconstructive surgery centre for the south east of England, and also provides services at clinics across the region. It has become world famous for its pioneering burns and plastic surgery. The hospital...
in East Grinstead
East Grinstead
East Grinstead is a town and civil parish in the northeastern corner of Mid Sussex, West Sussex in England near the East Sussex, Surrey, and Kent borders. It lies south of London, north northeast of Brighton, and east northeast of the county town of Chichester...
, Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
, and founded a Centre for Plastic and Jaw Surgery. There, he treated very deep burns and serious facial disfigurement like loss of eyelids. Patients at the hospital formed the Guinea Pig Club
Guinea Pig Club
The Guinea Pig Club was formed of patients of Archibald McIndoe at Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead, Sussex who underwent reconstructive plastic surgery during World War II, generally after receiving burn injuries in aircraft....
. Among the better known members of his "club" were Richard Hillary
Richard Hillary
Flight Lieutenant Richard Hope Hillary was a Battle of Britain pilot who died during World War II...
and Jimmy Edwards
Jimmy Edwards
Jimmy Edwards DFC was an English comedic script writer and comedy actor on both radio and television, best known as Pa Glum in Take It From Here and as the headmaster 'Professor' James Edwards in Whack-O!-Biography:...
.
McIndoe was a brilliant and quick surgeon. He not only developed new techniques for treating badly burned faces and hands but also recognised the importance of the rehabilitation of the casualties and particularly of social reintegration back into normal life. He disposed of the "convalescent uniforms" and let the patients use their service uniforms instead. With the help of two friends, Neville and Elaine Blond, he also convinced the locals to support the patients and invite them to their homes. McIndoe kept referring to them as "his boys" and the staff called him "The Boss" or "The Maestro".
Important work included development of the walking-stalk skin graft
Walking-stalk skin graft
A walking-stalk skin flap or waltzing tube pedicle is a reconstructive technique in which the skin and soft tissue to be used for the flap is formed into a tubular pedicle and moved from the source to the target site by anchoring at both ends, periodically severing one end anchoring it closer to...
, and the discovery that immersion in saline
Saline (medicine)
In medicine, saline is a general term referring to a sterile solution of sodium chloride in water but is only sterile when it is to be placed intravenously, otherwise, a saline solution is a salt water solution...
promoted healing as well as improving survival rates for victims with extensive burns - this was a serendipitous discovery drawn from observation of differential healing rates in pilots who had come down on land and in the sea.
Later years
McIndoe was created CBEOrder of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 1944 and after the war he received a number of British and foreign honours, including a Commandeur de la Légion d'honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
(Commander of the Legion of Honor) and a knighthood in 1947 for his remarkable work on restoring the minds and bodies of the burnt young pilots of World War II through his innovative reconstructive surgery techniques. That same year he visited East Africa for the first time, and took up farming on Kilimanjaro. It was here in 1956 with his two former pupils, Michael Wood and Tom Rees, that the dream of AMREF was born.
He became a member of a council of the Royal College of Surgeons
Royal College of Surgeons of England
The Royal College of Surgeons of England is an independent professional body and registered charity committed to promoting and advancing the highest standards of surgical care for patients, regulating surgery, including dentistry, in England and Wales...
in 1946 and its president in 1958. His marriage to Adonia ended in 1953, and he married Constance Belcham in 1954. In 1958 McIndoe was a Bradshaw lecturer about facial burns, a subject he knew well. He took part in the founding of the British Association of Plastic Surgeons (BAPS) and later served as its third President.
Archibald McIndoe died on 11 April 1960, aged 59, in his sleep. He was cremated, and his ashes were buried in the Royal Air Force church of St Clement Danes
St Clement Danes
St Clement Danes is a church in the City of Westminster, London. It is situated outside the Royal Courts of Justice on the Strand. The current building was completed in 1682 by Sir Christopher Wren and it now functions as the central church of the Royal Air Force.The church is sometimes claimed to...
just after helping set up AMREF in the UK.
On 22 March 1961, the British Minister of Health
Secretary of State for Health
Secretary of State for Health is a UK cabinet position responsible for the Department of Health.The first Boards of Health were created by Orders in Council dated 21 June, 14 November, and 21 November 1831. In 1848 a General Board of Health was created with the First Commissioner of Woods and...
opened the Blond McIndoe Centre named in his honour at the Queen Victoria Hospital
Queen Victoria Hospital
The Queen Victoria Hospital, located in East Grinstead, West Sussex, England is the specialist reconstructive surgery centre for the south east of England, and also provides services at clinics across the region. It has become world famous for its pioneering burns and plastic surgery. The hospital...
, East Grinstead. The Blond McIndoe Centre, now named the Blond McIndoe Research Foundation, continues research into pioneering treatments to improve wound healing.The Blond McIndoe Research Foundation is a registered charity which recently celebrated its 50th Anniversary.
Articles
- McIndoe A.H., Counsellor V.; Archives of Surgery; A report on the bilaterality of the liver; 1927; V.15; p. 589; Citation count: 74.
- McIndoe A.H.; Archives of Pathology; 1928; V.5; p. 23; Citation count: 260.
- McIndoe A.H.; Archives of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine; 1928; V.6; p. 598; Citation count: 20.
- McIndoe A.H.; British Journal of Surgery; 1931; V.20; p. 249; Citation count: 7.
- Mcindoe A.H.; British Journal of Surgery; Delayed haemorrhage following traumatic rupture of the spleen; 1932; V.20; pp. 249-268; Citation count: 103.
- Mcindoe A.H.; British Journal of Surgery; Delayed haemorrhage following traumatic rupture of the spleen; 1932; V.78; pp. 249-268.
- McIndoe A.H.; American Journal of Surgery; 1937; V.38; p. 176; Citation count: 27.
- McIndoe A.H.; American Journal of Surgery; 1937; V.28; p. 176; Citation count: 6.
- McIndoe A.H.; British Medical Journal; 1937; V.1; p. 385; Citation count: 21.
- Mcindoe A.H.; Surgery; The application of cavity grafting; 1937; V.1; p. 535; Citation count: 16.
- McIndoe A.H., Banister J.B.; Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of the British Commonwealth; An operation for the cure of congenital absence of the vagina; 1938; V.45; pp. 490-494; Citation count: 152.
- Mcindoe A.H., Banister J.B.; Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of the British Empire; An operation for the cure of congenital absence of the vagina; 1938; V.45; p. 490.
- Mcindoe A.H.; Lancet; Correction of the alar deformity in cleft lip and palate; 1938; V.1; p. 607; Citation count: 18.
- McIndoe A.H.; Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine; 1940; V.43; p. 43; Citation count: 1.
- McIndoe A.H.; British Dental Journal; 1941; V.71; p. 235; Citation count: 12.
- Mcindoe A.H.; British Journal of Plastic Surgery; Deformities of male urethra; 1948; V.1; p. 29; Citation count: 28.
- Mcindoe A.H.; British Journal of Plastic Surgery; The treatment of hypospadias; 1948; V.1; p. 29.
- McIndoe A.H.; British Journal of Plastic Surgery; 1949; V.2; p. 1; Citation count: 1.
- McIndoe A.H.; Postgraduate Medicine; 1949; V.6; p. 187; Citation count: 7.
- McIndoe A.H.; British Journal of Plastic Surgery; Treatment of congenital absence and obliterative conditions of the vagina; 1950; V.2; pp. 254-267; Citation count: 128.
- Mcindoe A.H.; Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine; Discussion on the treatment of chronic oedema of the leg; 1950; V.43; p. 1043; Citation count: 13.
- McIndoe A.H.; The International Society of Plastic Surgery; 1957; p. 414; Citation count: 3.
- McIndoe A.H.; Aerican Journal of Surgery; 1958; V.95; p. 197; Citation count: 26.
- McIndoe A.H.; British Journal of Plastic Surgery; 1958; V.11; p. 62; Citation count: 12.
- McIndoe A.H.; British Journal of Plastic Surgery; 1958; V.10; p. 307; Citation count: 12.
- Mcindoe A.H.; British Journal of Plastic Surgery; Total reconstruction of the burned face: The Bradshaw Lecture; 1958; V.36; pp. 410-1983.
- Mcindoe A.H., Rees T.D.; Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery; Synchronous repair of secondary deformities in cleft lip and nose; 1959; V.24; pp. 150-161; Citation count: 30.
- McIndoe A.H., Simmons C.A.; Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine; Discussion on the treatment of congenital absence of vagina with emphasis on long-term results; 1959; V.52; pp. 952-954; Citation count: 20.
- McCleave H.; London: Frederick Muller Limited; McIndoe: Plastic Surgeon; 1961.
- Mcindoe A.H.; The McIndoe Memorial Research Unit: First Annual Report; 1963.
- McIndoe A.H.; British Dental Journal; 1971; V.71; p. 235; Citation count: 1.
- McIndoe A.H.; British Journal of Plastic Surgery; 1980; V.2; p. 254; Citation count: 1.
- McIndoe A.H.; British Journal of Plastic Surgery; 1983; V.41; p. 422; Citation count: 1.
- McIndoe A.H.; British Journal of Plastic Surgery; Total reconstruction of the burned face; 1983; V.36; p. 410; Citation count: 6.
- McIndoe A.H.; Surgery of Gynecology and Obstetrics; 1987; V.164; p. 525; Citation count: 3.
- McIndoe A.H.; British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology; 1988; V.45; p. 490; Citation count: 1.