Lorna Verdun Sisely OBE, MBBS, MS, FRACS, FACS, CM (14 March 1916 – 27 January 2004) was a surgeon from Victoria, Australia.

[1] After a successful first year of her degree her father relented and she switched to medicine in 1937, gaining top awards for all her studies, winning exhibitions in biochemistry, pathology and dermatology, and graduating with honours.

[1] After she completed her studies in 1942, Sisely took a role as a junior resident at St Vincent's Hospital, and after her ability and potential was recognised by Sir Hugh Devine and Leo Doyle, she became the assistant to the senior surgeon in 1944.

[9][10] There were other women who were fellows of RACS, Lilian Violet Cooper was the first admitted in 1928, however they were already trained and experience surgeons, not required to sit the entrance examination.

[11] As well as beginning her Master of Surgery training in 1947, she also left St Vincent's Hospital to take an appointment as an honorary surgeon and senior staff member at the QVMH, a position she held for 34 years.

She received her Master of Surgery certificate from the University of Melbourne (becoming the second woman to do so after Girlie Hodges),[5][14] and two weeks later, On 20 April 1949, she left Australia on the Strathaird.

[15] Having identified the need for a urologist at the QVMH she used the funds to travel to England and then United States for 8 months each to undertake work in both general surgery and urology at various clinics.

[17] On her return, Sisely began to develop the surgical service of the QVMC, and as new specialist areas arose she sought out consultants to fill the positions.