Peter McKelvie, an outstanding head & neck surgeon and oncologist, died on 6 February aged 93. He suffered a spontaneous subdural haemorrhage. British otolaryngology has lost the most remarkable talent of his generation. He combined a prodigious intellect with effortless surgical skill and a spontaneous wit and sense of humour that entertained his colleagues and put his patients at ease.
Peter McKelvie.
The son of an ENT surgeon, William Bryce McKelvie, Peter was born and bred in Manchester where he qualified in 1956. After House jobs at Manchester Royal Infirmary and Hope Hospital, Salford, he moved to London for post-registration ENT posts at Golden Square and Gray’s Inn Road. He passed the final FRCS in 1962. Then followed two years as lecturer in anatomy at King’s College under Prof Thomas Nicol, working on the reticulo-endothelial system for which he was awarded his MD from Manchester University. A number of locum jobs followed including at the Seaman’s Hospital, an experience that widened considerably his clinical horizons and provided him a plethora of oft-repeated anecdotes. In 1963 he was appointed lecturer, and later reader, at the Institute of Laryngology and Otology and progressed to consultant under the watchful eye of Prof Donald Harrison in 1966. During this time, Peter carried out laborious and important research on metastatic routes in the head and neck. He was awarded his ChM by Manchester University for revascularisation anastomosis studies on canine bowel, research that was carried out at the College of Surgeons under Prof David Slome.
In 1971 Peter was appointed Consultant Otolaryngologist at the London Hospital where he formed a very strong team with his colleagues Andrew Morrison and John Booth. Together they dealt with a very heavy clinical workload, as well as encouraging original research from their trainees. At the same time Peter remained heavily involved in the activities of the Institute of Laryngology and Otology and was Dean from 1984-1989.
Peter’s clinical practice was very much in the field of malignancy in the air and food passages and in reconstruction. His years as an anatomist meant he could operate with great speed and precision. He was an experienced otologist, too, and also developed an interest in hypophysectomy in the treatment of metastatic malignancy during an attachment to the Royal Postgraduate Medical School at Hammersmith Hospital.
Amongst his other research interests, Peter worked on the development of the cryoprobe for the treatment of vascular mucosal lesions of the upper air and food particles, on the ototoxicity of gentamicin, and the use of Teflon paste in vocal cord palsy. He published extensively and lectured widely both at home and abroad and gave much time and effort to teaching and examining. His involvement in laryngeal surgery heightened his interest in the use of speech therapy in the rehabilitation of his patients.
Peter received many honours in the UK and abroad including a 'Fellowship without Examination' from the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.
Peter McKelvie was an excellent doctor. He was down to earth and devoid of air and graces. Many of his patients had advanced cancers. He spoke to them with sympathy, kindness and in a way they could understand. He made them smile. In his Who’s Who entry, Peter listed his recreations as “Mirth, watching young surgeons develop, and the Mediterranean Basin”– he spent many happy family holidays at Le Lavandou.
His wife Myra was a consultant dermatologist and he revelled in being rude about that speciality that he often described as 'the soft underbelly of medicine'. Their daughter Amanda has two children of her own, one of whom, Annabel, is a medical student at Manchester University.
Professor Richard Ramsden
