Archibald Hector McIndoe (1900–60) was a pioneering New Zealand plastic surgeon who revolutionized burn treatment and rehabilitation, especially for Royal Air Force airmen during World War II. His innovations advanced reconstructive surgery.
Born in Dunedin, New Zealand, McIndoe studied medicine at the University of Otago, graduating in 1923. He earned a fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in the U.S., researching chronic liver disease before moving to London in 1930. There, he joined his cousin, plastic surgeon Sir Harold Gillies, and specialized in reconstructive procedures.
During World War II, McIndoe served as consultant plastic surgeon to the Royal Air Force at Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead. He developed groundbreaking burn treatments, including saline baths instead of painful tannic acid. His patients, the Guinea Pig Club, formed a unique support network for survivors.
McIndoe’s contributions earned him a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) and France’s Légion d’honneur. Leonard Mosley’s biography, Faces from the Fire (1962,) details his life and medical achievements.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Archibald McIndoe
Skill is fine, and genius is splendid, but the right contacts are more valuable than either.
—Archibald McIndoe
Leave a Reply