Harold Gillies: The Pioneer of Facial Plastic Surgery

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This essay will introduce the early years of Harold Gillies, when and where he was born, educational achievements and scholarships and how World War One played a major role in him inventing facial plastic surgery. It will also explain the influence it has on today’s society, then finally the legacy he left behind. This paper will discuss how Harold Gillies invented facial plastic surgery.
Harold Gillies was born on the seventeenth of June 1882 in Dunedin New Zealand, being the youngest of eight children born to Robert and Emily Gillies. Harold’s younger years were spent on the family farm which he enjoyed. At the age of eight he was sent to Lindley Lodge, a private school near Rugby in England. Gillies returned to New Zealand four years later, where he attended Wanganui Collegiate in 1895 until 1900. He excelled academically and in sports. Harold was a prefect and captain of the first 11 cricket team. He played one match against Australia in 1900, that same year he was awarded best player in the nation. In 1901 Harold departed for London, to study medicine at Cambridge University. Gillies also happened to be a skilled artist, a talent which came about in his childhood and reached his highest point with his art being show cased in a London art exhibition in 1948. He was considering pursuing a career in ear and throat surgery and trained at St …show more content…

Not only academically and in sports but also he happened to be a skilled painter. After qualifying for surgery in 1910 and being awarded the scholarship, this will eventually lead to his life-changing moment. Harold has been a huge influence on today’s society, as many people are getting some sort of plastic surgery to enhance their body. Harold left a lasting legacy as he was awarded a knighthood in 1930. Like Gillies said ‘within us there is a huge urge to change something ugly and useless into something more attractive’

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