Ignasi Barraquer

Son of Josep Antoni Barraquer y Roviralta and his cousin, Concepción Barraquer.

He learned medical techniques from his father, who was a renowned ophthalmologist; by 1898, at the age of fourteen, he was already assisting him in surgeries.

In 1901, he studied physics and chemistry at the General Technical Institute of Barcelona; in 1902, he began studying histology at the Faculty of Medicine in Paris. In 1904, his first scientific paper, “Tuberculosis of the Ear,” was published in *La Gaceta Médica*.

Ignasi Barraquer earned his doctorate in 1908 at the age of 24, and a year later he was appointed assistant professor in the Department of Ophthalmology in Barcelona.

In 1910, Ignacio Barraquer married Josefina Moner, with whom he had seven children: María Concha, María Antonia, María Teresa, José Ignacio, Joaquim, Mercedes, and Carmen.

In 1917, he developed an innovative technique for treating cataracts called “phacoemulsification.”

It basically consisted of a suction cup attached to a vacuum device that, through suction, gripped the lens on its anterior surface and could remove it without causing any trauma to the eye.

In practice, the suction cup on this device adapted to the surface of the cataract, holding the lens in place through suction—gently and without any compression or instruments— thus making it possible to correct this condition without resorting to the use of forceps—which was the standard practice at the time and often led to serious complications.

This technique is known worldwide as the “Barraquer technique,” which he refined over the years. He wrote books such as “Ideal Cataract Extraction” in 1919, “Surgery for Senile Cataracts” in 1931, “Correction of Strabismus and Scleroiridectomy in Glaucoma” in 1933, and “The Evolution of Phacoemulsification” in 1953….

He also presented papers on his experiences with his surgical technique at national and international conferences, such as the one held in Washington in 1922. Thanks to his innovative efforts, his technique spread rapidly throughout the world.

In 1918, he was appointed professor of ophthalmology in Barcelona; in 1928, he was appointed as a tenured physician at the Hospital de la Santa Cruz y San Pablo. In 1933, he was appointed adjunct professor of ophthalmology at the Autonomous University of Barcelona.

That same year, construction began on his clinic, but the Civil War forced him to flee first to France and then to Tangier, where he worked as an eye surgeon.

In 1939, after the civil war ended, he resumed construction of his clinic; at the same time, he was named an honorary captain in the Army for his services, and he directed and organized the Barcelona Red Cross Ophthalmology Clinic until 1942.

In 1941, the Barraquer Clinic opened its doors. It was a three-story building with one operating room, 30 beds, and 5 offices. It was a private clinic but had the capacity to treat patients on a pro bono basis.

In 1947, together with his wife, he founded the Barraquer Institute, dedicated to teaching, research, and the dissemination of new treatments; backed by Dr. Barraquer’s prestige, the institute attracted doctors from all over the world.

He would later publish his own journal, *Estudios e informaciones oftalmológicos*.

He felt a strong attraction to animals and eventually set up a small zoo in the garden of his home, Torre Vilana, in Bonanova, and later on Pearson Avenue. This may explain his fascination with the circus, which he frequently attended.

Another of his hobbies was interior design, which he incorporated into the Art Deco design of his clinic.