A leading plastic surgeon dubbed the "king of rhinoplasty" in celebrity circles has died after collapsing at his home, it was announced today.

Martin Kelly, who was in his early 40s, was found slumped in the doorway of his house in west London last night by a friend, another doctor. It is thought he may have died from a heart attack.

Paramedics who arrived at Mr Kelly’s home tried to revive him but he was pronounced dead on arrival at the nearby Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.

Mr Kelly was married to the actress Natascha McElhone, with whom he had two children.

He was widely reported to have reconstructed the nose of socialite Tara Palmer-Tomkinson, who has a history of cocaine abuse.

Ms McElhone, who has starred in films including The Other Boleyn Girl, The Truman Show and the series Californication, was filming in Los Angeles when she received the news of her husband’s death. She is flying home with the couple’s two young children.

Mr Kelly was educated in Paris and at Winchester College in the UK before studying medicine at St Bartholomew’s Hospital Medical School in London. He graduated in 1989 and continued his surgical training in Oxford and London, becoming a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1993.

During his career, he was awarded a travelling scholarship to carry out research in microsurgery and facial reconstruction at the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, where he spent two years. He also trained in craniofacial surgery at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Mr Kelly published more than 30 papers on plastic surgery and presented his work across the globe, including in the US, France, Mexico and China.

He was co-founder of a charitable organisation to treat children from poor countries with severe facial deformity.

At the time of his death, Mr Kelly was a consultant plastic surgeon at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London.

Mr Kelly was part of London Plastic Surgery Associates (LPSA), a private practice of several London consultant plastic surgeons. His colleagues included Peter Butler from London’s Royal Free Hospital, who was given the go-ahead in 2006 to perform the UK’s first full face transplant.

A statement from the LPSA said: "The partners and staff of LPSA are deeply shocked and saddened by the death of our colleague Martin Kelly who collapsed at his home and died suddenly last night.

"He was a gifted plastic and reconstructive surgeon, a dynamic member of our practice, a devoted husband and father to his family and a dear friend and colleague to us.

"Our thoughts are with his widow Natascha and their two children at this time and everyone at LPSA expresses their deepest sympathy to Martin’s family."

Explore UK News

• Crime News

• Education News

• Health News

• Science News

• Scotland News

Times Recommends

• An officer and a gentle woman
• Dame Helen Mirren is worthy of the Epidaurus
• Foods that can help to prevent swine flu