Dr. Gordon Armstrong left an indelible mark not only on Ottawa’s medical community, but also around the world.
Born in Hong Kong and raised in rural Ontario, he graduated from Queen’s University and began his surgical practice in Ottawa in 1954, later serving as Chief of Orthopaedics at the Civic. Throughout his career, he prioritized sharing knowledge and techniques, training medical professionals worldwide and refusing royalties for his inventions.
Among the lives touched by Dr. Armstrong’s care, a patient named Shelley, who was diagnosed with scoliosis at a young age, vividly remembers meeting Dr. Armstrong as she faced the prospect of corrective surgery and fusion. “He had such an amazing sense of humour and he put me at ease. I remember how kind and how reassuring he was because it was a risky surgery.”
And, in 1980, a surgery he was involved in, performed under unusual circumstances, led to a partnership on the other side of the planet.
Dr. Armstrong received a request to perform surgery on Deng Pufang, the son of Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping. Deng Pufang was injured during the Cultural Revolution, rendering him paraplegic. Secretly transported to Ottawa for the operation, this event catalyzed a formal partnership between the Ottawa Civic Hospital and the Beijing Union Memorial Hospital. Over time, fourteen Chinese doctors across different medical fields received training in Ottawa as part of this collaboration.
In 2001, Dr. Armstrong was awarded the Order of Canada for his significant contributions to improving the lives of people with spinal injuries. His involvement with the National Research Council of Canada led to advancements in clinical assessment and implant design for patients with spinal deformities.
Dr. Armstrong passed away in 2018, but his legacy lives on through the Gordon Armstrong Combined Spine Program at The Ottawa Hospital’s Civic Campus, inaugurated by his son Dr. Doug Armstrong and colleagues. The program honors Dr. Armstrong’s commitment to excellence in orthopaedics and neurosurgery, embodying his vision of enhancing patient care through learning, innovation, and research.
