Anne Bryson Sutherland

MD, FRCS Ed

Born 7th January 1922, Wellford, West Lothian, Scotland

Died 27th March 2011, St Columba’s Hospice, Edinburgh

PROFESSIONAL LIFE

Anne did not start her professional life in healthcare aiming at a life in surgery. From an early age she was intent on a career in medicine but her father believing this to be an unsuitable career for a woman prevented her application to medical school. Instead, she enrolled at the Edinburgh College of domestic science and trained as a dietician. She worked very successfully in that role until four years after her father’s death.  Crucially she worked with Sir Archibald McIndoe, and it was he that is said to have encouraged her to realise, not only her first ambition, but to do so with a career in plastic surgery. Almost certainly as a stopgap measure she commenced a pure science degree at the University of Glasgow. But only a year later she was accepted onto the MB ChB course at the University of Edinburgh. 

Graduating in 1951 Anne undertook house jobs in and around the Scottish capital, quickly becoming involved in plastic surgery. Naturally her knowledge of nutrition further drew her to the management of burns patients, this aspect of their care and recovery being paramount. Inevitably she also came under the tutelage and influence of Anthony Wallace in the plastic surgery units at Bangour Hospital and Royal Hospital for Sick Children (RHSC), both in Edinburgh. Wallace, one of the second generation of British Plastic Surgeons, the instigator of BAPS Archive and Collection, but who also advanced the care of burns victims.

Anne’s training then progressed to spending 1956-57 in the pioneering American Army Burns Institute in San Antonio, Texas. A dissertation entitled “Thermal Injury: Its effect on nutrition, with special reference to body weight and food intake” was facilitated by her work there, earning her an MD degree in 1958. Having obtained her Fellowship of the Edinburgh College of Surgeons in 1963, she was appointed as a consultant at both the adult and paediatric units in Edinburgh. She became the first female plastic surgeon in the UK.

Whilst undertaking general plastic surgery, she was quickly appointed head of the burns unit, devoting herself entirely to the NHS.  She became internationally recognised in burn care, speaking widely. She published in the British Journal of Plastic Surgery on the Nutritional care of the burned patient, sodium balance and the long-term effects of electric fire burns as well as providing reviews of several burns textbooks. In a 1973 paper with a co-author, she was one of the first to advocate early primary excision and split skin grafting as optimal management for pre-tibial lacerations. 

In 1987 she became the first Woman President of the British Association of Plastic Surgeons. 

Anne was regarded by her colleagues as a recognised and respected leader in her field, a warm and generous woman, well-liked by staff at all levels. She would often go “above and beyond” for her patients, personally ensuring that they had appropriate nutrition, before this was formalised and spending many a night in the hospital even if not scheduled to be on-call. 

PERSONAL LIFE

Anne was the only child of David and Margaret Sutherland. They ran a drapery business in Edinburgh. Her father having served in the first world war became a member of the town council. Indeed, her paternal grandfather Donald was the Provost of Bathgate. Her other grandfather James Bryson invented any polymers piece of equipment for improving the extraction of oil from shale. School Bathgate Academy she was good both academically and on the sports field in tennis and hockey. She left as head girl, and could, but for her father have embarked upon any career she chose. 

Later in life she took up skiing, but managed to break her leg crossing the car park at the Hillend ski centre, being the only time that she had to take time off work. An enthusiastic and renowned chef, her hospitality was warm and generous. 

Following retirement she became a volunteer for National Trust Scotland, earning a long service award, and was a supporter of both Edinburgh’s Botanic Gardens and zoo. For intellectual stimulation she began to take a variety of courses with the Open University. Starting with French, she was somewhat surprised when six years later, at the age of 82, she received a letter from them informing her that she had achieved a Batchelor of Arts degree. 

Read More

Anne’s MD Thesis on Nutrition and burns is available for download at this Edinburgh research Archive site:

https://era.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/20229

The nutritional care of the burned patient: BJPS Vol 8, P68-74, Issue 1955

https://www.jprasurg.com/article/S0007-1226(55)80014-8/fulltext

Pretibial Lacerations: BJPS Vol 26,Issue 2, P172-175, April 1973

https://www.jprasurg.com/article/S0007-1226(73)80013-X/fulltext