Joaquín Albarrán, full name Joaquin Maria Albarrán y Dominguez (May 9, 1860 – January 17, 1912) was a Cuban

urologist Urology (from Greek οὖρον ''ouron'' "urine" and ''-logia'' "study of"), also known as genitourinary surgery, is the branch of medicine that focuses on surgical and medical diseases of the urinary system and the reproductive organs. Org ...

born in Sagua La Grande,

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

. He received the Order of the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

Biography

He studied medicine in

Havana Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...

, earning his medical licence in 1877. Afterwards, he relocated to Paris, where he studied

histology Histology, also known as microscopic anatomy or microanatomy, is the branch of biology that studies the microscopic anatomy of biological tissue (biology), tissues. Histology is the microscopic counterpart to gross anatomy, which looks at large ...

with

Louis-Antoine Ranvier Louis-Antoine Ranvier (2 October 1835 – 22 March 1922) was a French physician, pathologist, anatomist and histologist, who discovered the nodes of Ranvier, regularly spaced discontinuities of the myelin sheath, occurring at varying interval ...

(1835–1922). In Paris, he interned under several renowned physicians, including urologist

Jean Casimir Félix Guyon Jean Casimir Félix Guyon (21 July 1831 – 2 August 1920) was a French surgeon and urologist born in Saint-Denis, Ile-Bourbon (Réunion). He studied medicine in Paris, receiving his doctorate in 1858. He was appointed ''médecin des hôpitaux' ...

(1831–1920), who served as an important influence to Albarrán's career. In 1892 he became ''professeur agrégé'', followed by ''chirurgien des hôpitaux'' two years later. In 1906 he succeeded Guyon as director of the clinic of urology at Hôpital Necker. Albarrán's early career was largely spent in the fields of

microbiology Microbiology () is the branches of science, scientific study of microorganisms, those being of unicellular organism, unicellular (single-celled), multicellular organism, multicellular (consisting of complex cells), or non-cellular life, acellula ...

and

histopathology Histopathology (compound of three Greek words: 'tissue', 'suffering', and '' -logia'' 'study of') is the microscopic examination of tissue in order to study the manifestations of disease. Specifically, in clinical medicine, histopatholog ...

, later switching to urology, a discipline in which he made several important contributions. He performed the first perineal

prostatectomy Prostatectomy (from the Ancient Greek language, Greek , "prostate" and , "excision") is the surgical removal of all or part of the prostate gland. This operation is done for benignity, benign conditions that cause urinary retention, as well as ...

in France, and is credited with introducing the so-called "Albarrán lever", a device used for adjusting the movements of a

cystoscope Cystoscopy is endoscopy of the urinary bladder via the urethra. It is carried out with a cystoscope. The urethra is the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the outside of the body. The cystoscope has lenses like a telescope or microscop ...

during the catheterization of the

ureter The ureters are tubes composed of smooth muscle that transport urine from the kidneys to the urinary bladder. In an adult human, the ureters typically measure 20 to 30 centimeters in length and about 3 to 4 millimeters in diameter. They are lin ...

. In 1912 he was nominated for a

Nobel Prize in Medicine The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine () is awarded yearly by the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute, Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute for outstanding discoveries in physiology or medicine. The Nobel Prize is not a single ...

Associated eponyms

* Albarran-Ormond syndrome: Inflammatory

retroperitoneal fibrosis Retroperitoneal fibrosis or Ormond's disease is a disease featuring the proliferation of fibrous tissue (fibrosis) in the retroperitoneum, the compartment of the body containing the kidneys, aorta, renal tract, and various other structures. It m ...

, usually associated with urinary obstruction. Named with

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

urologist John Kelso Ormond (1886–1978); also known as "Gerota’s syndrome", after

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

n anatomist and urologist

Dimitrie Gerota Dimitrie D. Gerota (pronounced , 17 July 1867 – 3 March 1939) was a Romanian anatomy, anatomist, physician, radiology, radiologist, urology, urologist, and corresponding list of members of the Romanian Academy, member of the Romanian Academy fr ...

(1867–1939). * Albarran's glands: Tiny

submucosal glands Submucosal glands can refer to various racemose exocrine glands of the mucous type. These glands secrete mucus to facilitate the movement of particles along the body's various tubes, such as the throat and intestines. The mucosa is the lining o ...

or branching tubules in the subcervical area of the

prostate gland The prostate is an male accessory gland, accessory gland of the male reproductive system and a muscle-driven mechanical switch between urination and ejaculation. It is found in all male mammals. It differs between species anatomically, chemica ...

. * Albarran's sign: A sign of cancer in the pelvis renalis.

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

nephrostomy A nephrostomy or percutaneous 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 ( renal pelvis). It is an interventional radiolo ...

. * ''Médecine opératoire des voies urinaires''. Paris, Masson & Cie., 1909. His best written effort. Albarran was the first surgeon in France to perform a perineal

.Joaquin Maria Albarran y Dominguez - bibliography
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Who Named It ''Whonamedit?'' is an online English-language dictionary of medical eponyms and the people associated with their identification. Though it is a dictionary, many eponyms and persons are presented in extensive articles with comprehensive bibliograp ...

References

''Joaquín Albarrán''
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External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Albarran, Joaquin Cuban physicians Urologists 1860 births 1912 deaths People from Sagua la Grande 19th-century Cuban people