Joaquín Barraquer has worked since 1961 as an instructor (several courses yearly) of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and was given the Deserving Teaching Award in 1972.
Amidst presenting numerous lectures and courses in universities, medical colleges and graduate schools in ophthalmology on five continents,
Joaquin discovered (in 1957) the action of the human zonule alfaquimotripsina and developed the eye treatment technique now known as “enzyme zonulolisis.” It is a surgical procedure of significant contribution to the total extraction of the intracapsular cataract.
The new procedure was so revolutionary that Prof. Barraquer himself stated that comparing it to the old method was like dry sealing an envelope prior to wetting and softening the glue.
Prof. Barraquer has designed many instruments and has developed several original procedures for eye treatment. In fact, he is among the pioneers in the world including intraocular lenses for which he also designed an original model.
In 1964, he collaborated with his brother, Jose Ignacio, to successfully develop a special microscope for microsurgery. The microscope has proved critical for allowing bio-microscopy vision of an “optical section” transparent media of the eye (basically comparable to a CT scan instantly).
In 1965, Barraquer was involved in another collaborative effort with an optical engineer named Litmann. They devised another special microscope for filming microsurgical procedures.
In 1995, in yet another collaborative effort, Barraquer designed a special lens to correct myopia falling in a difficult to treat range.
In addition to the positions held, as indicated in Explanations and Origins of Eye Treatment: Joaquín Barraquer – part 1, Prof Barraquer:
- Has received 6 national and 28 foreign scientific honors and awards
- Has been granted 12 awards and honors from Spain
- Has been granted 21 foreign awards
- Has, since 1953, published over 150 feature films and 50 videos (showing different techniques and experimental surgery; some of which have won awards at major international film festivals)
- Has numerous publications including 6 books (in French; translated into English and German), 6 compilations and monographs, 1 CD-ROM (bilingual Spanish and
- English) which was awarded the Möbius 1997 in the category of Science, and over 350 articles
- Is an Honorary Professor at 11 universities (local and foreign)
- Is an Honorary Member of the Peruvian Organization Fighting Blindness
- Is a Fellow of the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International
- Is a Foreign Honorary Academician of the Academy of Medicine Paraguay
- Is a member of the Hall of Fame of the American Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgery (ASCRS)
- Is a member of Honor of 31 national and foreign scientific associations and a Full Member of 40 others
- Is an Expert Scientific Honorary Adviser of the Tianjin Eye Center (Medical University of Tianjin, China
- Was a Key Invited Speaker at the 15th meeting and 4th World ICIMRK Surgeons Eye Society International Meeting “(Tianjin, China)
- Has actively participated in over 350 congresses and scientific meetings worldwide, 30 of them as the Guest of Honor and 29 others as a special guest
- Was elected in 2007, by a secret ballot of his peers, as the President of the Spanish Society of Ophthalmology
Click here to learn more about Professor Barraquer and his family’s eye clinic and eye treatments in Barcelona, Spain.
