Joaquín Albarrán
Encyclopedia
Joaquín Albarrán, full name Joaquin Albarrán Maria y Dominguez (May 9, 1860 – January 17, 1912) was a Cuba
n urologist
who was born in Sagua La Grande
, Cuba
. In 1878 he went to Paris
, where he worked and studied under many renowned physicians. Albarrán regarded anatomist
Louis-Antoine Ranvier
(1835–1922) and urologist Jean Casimir Félix Guyon
(1831–1920) as major influences in his career. In 1906 he succeeded Guyon as director of the Clinic of Urology at the Hôpital Necker.
Albarrán's early career was spent in the fields of microbiology
and histopathology
, but he later switched to urology where he made several important contributions. He was the first French physician to perform a perineal prostatectomy
. He is credited with the invention of a device for adjustment of a cystoscope during the catheterization of the ureter
. This device was to become known as the Albarrán lever. He was a 3-time winner of the Goddard Prize, and was nominated in 1912 for a Nobel Prize
in Medicine.
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
n urologist
Urology
Urology is the medical and surgical specialty that focuses on the urinary tracts of males and females, and on the reproductive system of males. Medical professionals specializing in the field of urology are called urologists and are trained to diagnose, treat, and manage patients with urological...
who was born in Sagua La Grande
Sagua La Grande
Sagua La Grande is a municipality and city located on the north coast of the province of Villa Clara in central Cuba, on the Sagua la Grande River. The city is close to Mogotes de Jumagua, limestone cliffs...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
. In 1878 he went to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, where he worked and studied under many renowned physicians. Albarrán regarded anatomist
Anatomy
Anatomy is a branch of biology and medicine that is the consideration of the structure of living things. It is a general term that includes human anatomy, animal anatomy , and plant anatomy...
Louis-Antoine Ranvier
Louis-Antoine Ranvier
Louis-Antoine Ranvier was a French physician, pathologist, anatomist and histologist, who discovered nodes of Ranvier, regularly spaced constrictions of the myelin sheath, occurying at varying intervals along the length of a nerve fiber.Ranvier was born and studied medicine at Lyon, graduating in...
(1835–1922) and urologist Jean Casimir Félix Guyon
Jean Casimir Félix Guyon
Jean Casimir Félix Guyon was a French surgeon and urologist born on Ile-Bourbon .He studied medicine in Paris, receiving his doctorate in 1858. He was appointed médecin des hôpitaux in 1864, and was later a professor of surgical pathology and genitourinary surgery at the University of Paris...
(1831–1920) as major influences in his career. In 1906 he succeeded Guyon as director of the Clinic of Urology at the Hôpital Necker.
Albarrán's early career was spent in the fields of microbiology
Microbiology
Microbiology is the study of microorganisms, which are defined as any microscopic organism that comprises either a single cell , cell clusters or no cell at all . This includes eukaryotes, such as fungi and protists, and prokaryotes...
and histopathology
Histopathology
Histopathology refers to the microscopic examination of tissue in order to study the manifestations of disease...
, but he later switched to urology where he made several important contributions. He was the first French physician to perform a perineal prostatectomy
Prostatectomy
A prostatectomy is the surgical removal of all or part of the prostate gland. Abnormalities of the prostate, such as a tumour, or if the gland itself becomes enlarged for any reason, can restrict the normal flow of urine along the urethra....
. He is credited with the invention of a device for adjustment of a cystoscope during the catheterization of the ureter
Ureter
In human anatomy, the ureters are muscular tubes that propel urine from the kidneys to the urinary bladder. In the adult, the ureters are usually long and ~3-4 mm in diameter....
. This device was to become known as the Albarrán lever. He was a 3-time winner of the Goddard Prize, and was nominated in 1912 for a Nobel Prize
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
in Medicine.
Associated eponyms
- Albarran-Ormond syndrome: Inflammatory retroperitoneal fibrosisRetroperitoneal fibrosisRetroperitoneal fibrosis or Ormond's disease is a disease featuring the proliferation of fibrous tissue in the retroperitoneum, the compartment of the body containing the kidneys, aorta, renal tract and various other structures. It may present with lower back pain, renal failure, hypertension, deep...
; named with AmericanUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
urologist John Kelso Ormond (1886–1978), also known as Gerota’s syndrome, after RomaniaRomaniaRomania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n anatomist and urologist Dimitrie GerotaDimitrie GerotaDimitrie D. Gerota , Romanian anatomist, physician, radiologist, urologist, and an associated member of the Romanian Academy from 1916.-Biography:...
. - Albarran's glands: minute subtrigonal glands in the bladderUrinary bladderThe urinary bladder is the organ that collects urine excreted by the kidneys before disposal by urination. A hollow muscular, and distensible organ, the bladder sits on the pelvic floor...
. - Albarran's sign: A sign of cancer in the pelvis renalisRenal pelvisThe renal pelvis or pyelum is the funnel-like dilated proximal part of the ureter in the kidney.In humans, the renal pelvis is the point of convergence of two or three major calyces...
.
Written works
- Anatomie et physiologie pathologique de la rétention de l’urine. With Jean Casimir Felix Guyon (1831–1920), 1890.
- Sur un série de quarante opérations pratiqués sur la rein. Revue de chirurgie, 1896, 16: 882-884. First planned nephrostomyNephrostomyA nephrostomy is an artificial opening created between the kidney and the skin which allows for the urinary diversion directly from the upper part of the urinary system ....
. - Médecine opératoire des voies urinaires. Paris, Masson & Cie., 1909. His masterpiece. Albarran was the first surgeon in France to perform perineal prostatectomyProstatectomyA prostatectomy is the surgical removal of all or part of the prostate gland. Abnormalities of the prostate, such as a tumour, or if the gland itself becomes enlarged for any reason, can restrict the normal flow of urine along the urethra....
.