Derek Henderson (1935-2013): oral and maxillofacial surgeon at Canniesburn and St Thomas' Hospitals

Derek Henderson was a senior consultant in oral and maxillofacial surgery at St Thomas' Hospital in London. Before that he was massively successful at the regional plastic and maxillofacial unit at Canniesburn Hospital in Glasgow, where he built up a highly successful partnership with the neurosurgeons and plastic surgeons, a rare happening in those days. Together they developed Le Fort II maxillary osteotomy and other facial operations. Henderson significantly changed the pattern of trauma management and developed classification systems that were used for many years. He was especially famed for his work in Scotland with Ian Jackson on Le Fort II osteotomies. He was a Hunterian Professor at the Royal College of Surgeons of England and its first Kelsey Fry Advisor in postgraduate training. Henderson was President of the British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons and the Oral Surgery Club of Great Britain. Henderson was once described as a no-nonsense person, with few words, appearing to have dual personality. He could make even the most nervous patient relax, but some of his assistants trembled in front of him. A staunch Christian, on retirement he became a lay preacher in Scotland.