Denis Browne (surgeon)

Sir Denis Browne KCVO
Born	2 April 1892 Melbourne
Died	9 January 1967(1967-01-09) (aged 74) London
Alma mater	St Paul's College, University of Sydney
Occupation	Paediatric surgeon
Organization	Hospital for Sick Children at Great Ormond Street
Known for	Denis Browne bar
Spouses	Helen Simpson ​ ​ (m. 1927; died 1940)​ Lady Moyra Ponsonby ​ (m. 1945)​
Children	3

Sir Denis John Wolko Browne KCVO (2 April 1892 – 9 January 1967) was the first British surgeon to devote his practice entirely to the care of children. A native of Australia, he served in the Royal Australian Army Medical Corps in World War I before moving to England and joining the staff of the Hospital for Sick Children at Great Ormond Street. An amateur tennis player in the 1920s, he made four appearances at Wimbledon.

He created several medical devices, including the Denis Browne bar and a restraint device used in surgery known as the Denis Browne crucifix. Browne suggested modifications to the surgical or medical treatment of children with several conditions. He devised his own approach to the repair of hypospadias and worked on improvements to the management of other genitourinary, gastrointestinal, orthopaedic and cardiovascular problems. He was the first president of the British Association of Paediatric Surgeons and the association awards the Denis Browne Gold Medal for worldwide excellence in paediatric surgery.^[1]

Browne was married to novelist Helen de Guerry Simpson until her death in 1940. A few years later, he married nurse administrator Lady Moyra Ponsonby. He practised at Great Ormond Street until 1957, when he was named emeritus surgeon. He died of a short illness a few years after his retirement and was survived by his second wife and three children.