REVOLUTIONISING BURNS TREATMENT

Lamm is full of praise for New Zealand-born surgeon Sir Archibald McIndoe, whose operating theatre she worked in during the war. He treated many aircrew with deep burns to their faces and hands caused by exploding aircraft fuel. McIndoe’s treatment of burns victims at that time revolutionised the field of plastic surgery. He developed innovative treatments and surgical techniques, but also recognised the importance of rehabilitation. He encouraged his patients to form their own so-called ‘Guinea Pig Club’, a social club and mutual support network for those who had undergone experimental reconstructive plastic surgery.