Hermenegildo Arruga (1886–1972): a versatile ophthalmologist who simplified cerclage to retinal surgery

Abstract

Hermenegildo Arruga Liró (1886-1972) was a versatile Spanish ophthalmologist who specialized in retinal surgery. He designed numerous surgical instruments and introduced significant improvements in ophthalmic surgical techniques. Thus, he was among the first ophthalmologists to advocate the intracapsular cataract extraction. Furthermore, he refined several surgical procedures such as dacryocystorhinostomy, corneal transplantation, evisceroenucleation and pterygium excision. Arruga perfected Gonin's operation and contributed significantly for retinal detachment surgery to be put in place. Later, he adopted the injection of air at the end of surgery. In the 1950s, Arruga simplified the technique of equatorial cerclage using a suture to encircle the equator of the eye.