Interview: Professor Chloé Bertolus

Professor Chloé Bertolus is the Head of the Maxillo-Facial Surgery Department at Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris. She gained public recognition in 2018 following the publication of Philippe Lançon’s memoir Le Lambeau (The Flap), in which she is depicted as a central figure responsible for his facial reconstruction and recovery. Lançon, a French journalist, survived the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attack in January 2015 in Paris.

Since then, Professor Bertolus has appeared in numerous media outlets, contributing to the popularization of maxillo-facial surgery and raising public awareness of the field. She is renowned for her forthright opinions on medicine, patient care, and the surgeon’s role.

In this conversation, Professor Bertolus reflects candidly on empathy in surgical practice, the weight of medical decision-making, and the evolving collaboration between French and British surgical communities.

It is an honour to interview Professor Bertolus, as our paths share notable similarities: both from Chambéry, France, having studied in London, and sharing a passion for surgery.