Ramón Castroviejo Briones (August 24, 1904 – January 2, 1987) was a Spanish and American eye surgeon remembered for his achievements in
corneal transplantation
Corneal transplantation, also known as corneal grafting, is a surgical procedure where a damaged or diseased cornea is replaced by donated corneal tissue (the graft). When the entire cornea is replaced it is known as penetrating keratoplasty a ...
.
Biography
Born in
Logroño
Logroño ( , , ) is the capital of the autonomous community of La Rioja (Spain), La Rioja, Spain. Located in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, primarily in the right (South) bank of the Ebro River, Logroño has historically been a place of pa ...
, Spain he received his medical education at the
University of Madrid. He graduated in 1927 and worked at the Chicago Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital and the
Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic () is a Nonprofit organization, private American Academic health science centre, academic Medical centers in the United States, medical center focused on integrated health care, healthcare, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science ...
before, in 1931, he came to
Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York. He became the director of Ophthalmology at
St. Vincent's Hospital before he opened his own hospital when he bought the
Hammond House. After his retirement he moved to Madrid where he died.
Achievements
While not being the first to successfully graft human cornea, he improved the technique of the operation in the 1930s and 1940s, prompting the worldwide adoption of corneal transplantation as a standard way to deal with severe corneal pathology. His
keratoplasty technique remained standard until more efficient suture materials became available.
RAMON CASTROVIEJO, md
� by Arthur Gerard DeVoe; Trans Am Ophthalmol Soc. 1987; 85: 6-8.
Castroviejo designed the Castroviejo
needle holder
Needle or Needles may refer to:
Crafting
* Crochet needle, a tool for making loops in thread or yarn
* Knitting needle, a tool for knitting, not as sharp as a sewing needle
* Sewing needle, a long slender tool with a pointed tip
* Trussing needl ...
, an instrument used in eye, dental and other forms of
microsurgery
Microsurgery is a general term for surgery requiring an operating microscope. The most obvious developments have been procedures developed to allow anastomosis of successively smaller blood vessels and nerves (typically 1 mm in diameter) whi ...
.
See also
*
Vladimir Filatov
Vladimir Petrovich Filatov (, – 30 October 1956) was a Russian Empire and Soviet ophthalmologist and surgeon best known for his development of tissue therapy. He introduced the tube flap grafting method, corneal transplantation and preservati ...
- a Soviet contemporary of Castroviejo that was also a pioneer in corneal transplantation.
Books, articles by Castroviejo
Atlas of Keratectomy and Keratoplasty Ramon Castroviejo. 446 pages. Published by W.B. SAUNDERS COMPANY in 1966.
References
External links
Cornea Society- previously known as Castroviejo Cornea Society.
Curriculum Vitaeat the Madrid University website
1904 births
1987 deaths
Spanish ophthalmologists
Spanish emigrants to the United States
American military doctors
New York University faculty
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