Sir Benjamin William Rycroft OBE (1902–1967): British ophthalmologist and pioneer in corneal surgery

Abstract

An unsung hero of British ophthalmology is the largely forgotten Sir Benjamin Rycroft (1902–1967). This paper will discuss and analyse the undervalued career of this great man. Upon graduating from medical school, Rycroft became a General Practitioner. Rycroft then decided to train to become an ophthalmologist. Rycroft began his ophthalmology career in 1930s London focusing on the new ground-breaking surgery of keratoplasty (corneal grafting) before serving with distinction in the medical corps during the Second World War. He is chiefly remembered for his work after the war at the Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead, Sussex, where he worked with renowned plastics surgeon Archibald McIndoe. During his time, there Rycroft became globally recognised for his skill in keratoplasty and started a campaign which radically changed the legal framework behind organ donation in the UK. Despite few knowing of him today, Rycroft is undoubtedly one of the most influential British ophthalmologists of the past century. He was for decades seen as one of the world's leading practitioners of keratoplasty and established a unit which restored sight to wounded veterans. His greatest achievement lies in his organ donation reform, which started the process of allowing organ donation to be carried out on a nationwide scale for the first time.