Robert D. Acland

Robert Acland
Born	Robert Dyke Acland June 20, 1941 Exeter, England
Died	January 6, 2016 (aged 74) Louisville, Kentucky, US
Alma mater	London Hospital Medical College
Medical career
Profession	surgeon
Field	plastic and reconstructive surgery
Institutions	University of Louisville
Research	microsurgery, fresh tissue dissection
Notable works	Acland's Video Atlas of Human Anatomy

Robert D. Acland, MBBS, FRCS (June 20, 1941 – January 6, 2016) was a surgeon and academic credited with being one of the pioneers in plastic and reconstructive microsurgery. He was the younger son of Richard Acland and his wife Anne.^[1] He developed one of the first microsurgical instruments, the Acland micro-vessel clamp,^[2] as well as the 10-0 nylon sutures and needles that are still used today. He published the first edition of Acland's Practice Manual for Micro-vascular Surgery, also known as the "Red Book", a manual on microsurgical techniques (1997). The current edition was revised in 2008^[3] and is still an essential tool for any trainee in microsurgical techniques and fundamentals of surgical microscopes and their use.

Acland was also a clinical anatomist and became a pioneer in the field of fresh tissue dissection. From 1981 to 2011, he established and ran the Fresh Tissue Anatomy Dissection Laboratory for surgeons and students at the University of Louisville.

Acland's major published work consists of the comprehensive Video Atlas of Human Anatomy.^[4] The video atlas depicts moving structures and pioneers new and highly effective techniques of anatomical videography for a clear three-dimensional understanding of spatial relationships. The unique dynamic and 3-D perspective was achieved using innovative camera rotation techniques pioneered at the University of Louisville School of Medicine.