The Facemaker

The Facemaker documents the life and clinical practice of Harold Gillies, an ENT surgeon who established a specialized reconstructive unit during World War I. At the Queen’s Hospital in Sidcup, Gillies treated soldiers arriving from the front with catastrophic facial trauma caused by shrapnel and high-velocity bullets. The book details the development of fundamental plastic surgery techniques, such as the tubed pedicle skin flap, which utilized the patient’s own tissue to prevent infection and promote healing. Fitzharris describes how Gillies blended surgical precision with artistic vision to restore both physical function and social identity to disfigured men.

This book serves students of medical history and readers interested in the technological evolution of the Great War. It provides a technical look at how wartime necessity accelerated innovations in anesthesia, infection control, and skin grafting. Readers gain a clear understanding of the psychological toll of facial disfigurement and the collaborative relationship between surgeons and artists who crafted prosthetic masks. The text leaves the reader with a detailed account of how modern restorative surgery emerged from the trench warfare of the early twentieth century.