MB ChB Edin 1949, ChM 1959; FRCS Edin 1953; FRCS Eng 1969.
Torrance was born in Edinburgh in March 1927 and gained his medical education at the University of Edinburgh, where he gained a number of academic distinctions. After qualifying, Torrance was house surgeon at Western General Hospital Edinburgh, and served in the RAF becoming surgical specialist. From 1952 to 1953 Torrance of Whaitt Research Scholar at the University of Edinburgh where he developed an interest in hepatic circulation. He was then registrar to John Bruce at the Western General Hospital and honorary senior registrar to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary before being appointed lecturer in surgical science at the University. Torrance came to Manchester in 1959 as consultant surgeon to MRI. Torrance was a member of the Surgical Research Society and the Association of Surgeons of Great Britain. He later became part time consultant and had private consulting practice in Manchester.