Germanicus Mirault was a French surgeon who pioneered cleft lip surgery.
Germanicus Mirault | |
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| Born | 1796 |
| Died | January 19, 1879 (aged 82) |
| Nationality | French |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Surgery |
Early life
Germanicus Mirault was born in Angers on either 29 February or 1 March 1796 (1796 was a leap year).[1][2][3] His father and grandfather were also surgeons, with his father specialising in ophthalmology.[2]
Education
Mirault first began studying medicine under his father in 1814.[2] Moving to Paris to continue his studies, he presented his thesis in 1823 on keratitis.[2][4]
Medical career
Together with Joseph-François Malgaigne, Mirault introduced flap transposition for cleft-lip closure.[5][6] In 1935, this work was championed by Victor Veau, who stated "Mirault is the genius of cleft lip surgery".[7] He made other key contributions to maxillofacial surgical procedures, including the first ligature of a human lingual artery in 1833 and pioneering a method of temporary occlusion of the eyelids when correcting a post-burn ectropion, which is still in use today.[1][8]
Awards
Mirault was awarded by the Académie des Sciences in 1869 for his work on eyelid surgery.[1]
Death
Mirault died on 19 January 1879 in Angers.[3]