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During World War One, there were many injuries caused by shrapnel, machine guns and shell fire. Millions of soldiers were injured, meaning surgeons had the opportunity to develop new methods and treatments.

Plastic surgery

Harold Gillies

Harold Gillies was a New Zealand doctor. During World War One, he joined the army as a surgeon with the British army. He initially worked on the front line. However, in 1917 he set up a ward at Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup, in London, to treat patients with facial injuries.

Gillies pioneered new skin graft techniques. In one technique, he moved a patch of skin on the face, called a pedicle. He left the veins attached to it, so it still had a blood supply and could successfully be attached to a different part of the face.

Francis Derwent Wood

Francis Derwent Wood was a sculptor. He worked in hospitals in England treating injured soldiers. He designed and made lifelike facial masks for soldiers who had suffered severe facial injuries. This helped them to regain confidence, supported their mental health and aided their reintegration into normal life.

New treatments

There were several other innovations in surgery during World War One:

• Blood transfusions - Since Karl Landsteiner had discovered blood groups in 1901, blood transfusions had been possible. However, blood could not be stored. During World War One, sodium citrate was added to packages of blood. This stopped it from clotting straight away and meant blood could be stored for a short period of time.
• X-rays - Marie Curie and her husband Pierre's scientific research was crucial in the development of X-rays for use in surgery. The X-ray machine was invented in 1895 before the start of World War One. During World War One, mobile X-ray units were available. Marie Curie played a vital role in getting 200 X-ray units into field hospitals along with 20 mobile X-ray vehicles, which the French troops nicknamed petites Curies which translates to 'little Curies'. This meant surgeons could see what internal injuries a patient had, meaning surgery could be better planned and was safer.
• Amputation and the use of prosthetic limbs - The nature of injuries suffered in World War One meant thousands of soldiers had limbs amputated. New and more sophisticated artificial - prosthetic - limbs were designed. A company in London that made industrial and electric tools began to manufacture a new prosthetic leg made of metal. This was lighter and easier to manoeuvre.

James Edward Hanger and prosthetic limbs

James Edward Hanger became an amputee during the American Civil War. His prosthetic limb was ill-fitting and painful. Using his engineering experience, he designed a new one that was able to bend at the knee and the ankle and was better fitting. The state government commissioned him to manufacture improved prosthetic limbs for other wounded soldiers.

He travelled to Europe to observe the effects of trench warfare - so he could design better prosthetics. As a result of this trip, Hanger’s newly established company received contracts with both England and France during and after World War One to supply artificial limbs to Allied soldiers.