Aproximación a la obra científica del Comandante médico Fidel Pagés Miravé

espanolA. Faulconer en su libro "Foundations of Anesthesiology" refiriendose a Pages afirma: "No se encuentran apenas datos sobre la vida de este importante cirujano espanol". Esta concluyente afirmacion unida a imperdonables omisiones de la figura de Pages por historiografos de la anestesia o de la cirugia, y a graves errores en datos sobre su vida u obra, nos movio a realizar una aproximacion, lo mas exacta posible, a la obra cientifica del Comandante Medico Fidel Pages Mirave. Escasas han sido las figuras espanolas que hayan aportado alguna interesante novedad al mundo de la anestesia. Pero ninguna tan injustamente tratada y olvidada como la de Pages, verdadero pionero de la anestesia epidural, que el denominaria Anestesia Metamerica en su articulo publicado en el mes de marzo de 1921 en la Revista Espanola de Cirugia, por el fundada. Anos despues, en 1931, Dogliotti, Profesor de Cirugia de Modena publico sus experiencias sobre la anestesia epidural, a la que llamo Anestesia Peridural Segmentaria, ignorando el trabajo de Pages publicado diez anos antes. El trabajo de Dogliotti fue rapidamente reconocido, asumiendo todos los meritos de la paternidad de la tecnica epidural, quedando Pages relegado a un olvido injusto que con este trabajo tratamos de reparar. En la necesidad de ubicar a Pages en el entorno en el que desarrollo su obra cientifica, tratamos de realizar una vision de las principales aportaciones quirurgicas y anestesicas de aquellos cirujanos que fueron coetaneos con nuestro personaje. Con especial abundamiento, profundizamos en los precedentes historicos de las tecnicas de anestesia intradural o caudal, asi como las descripciones posteriores a Pages sobre el abordaje lumbar de la via epidural. A su vez realizamos un analisis comparativo del trabajo de Pages sobre la anestesia metamerica, en relacion con la actual vigencia que puedan tener sus observaciones, descripciones, indicaciones y contraindicaciones. La idea central del trabajo versara sobre el reconocimiento de Pages como verdadero promotor del abordaje epidural con fines quirurgicos. Asi como valorar una obra que, aunque corta, bien pudiera incluirse entre los mejores cirujanos espanoles de principio de siglo. Nos centramos, para la recopilacion de datos, en sus expedientes academicos (Zaragoza y Madrid), en su hoja de servicios como Medico Militar y en las publicaciones sobre Historia de la Anestesia, Historia de la Cirugia y de la Sanidad Militar. Para mejor conocer al Personaje hemos localizado a su familia y revisamos los diarios oficiales del Ministerio de la Guerra las colecciones completas de la principal prensa de la epoca, especialmente las de Madrid y Melilla. EnglishA. Faulconer in his book "Foundations of Anesthesiology", referring to Pages says: "There are little data on the life of this important Spanish surgeon". This conclusive statement attached to unforgivable omissions to the figure of Pages by historians of anesthesia or surgery, and to serious errors in facts about his life or work, led us to make an approximation as accurate as possible, to the scientific work of the Medical commander Fidel Pages Mirave. Few figures have been the Spanish who have made some interesting news to the world of anesthesia. But none so wronged and forgotten like Pages, a true pioneer of epidural anesthesia, that he would call Metameric Anesthesia in his article published in the month of March, 1921, in the Spanish Journal of Surgery, founded by him. Years later, in 1931, Dogliotti, Professor of Surgery in Modena published his experiences on the epidural, which he called Segmental Epidural Anesthesia, ignoring the work published ten years earlier by Pages. Dogliotti's work was quickly recognized, assuming all the merits of the paternity of the epidural technique, being Pages relegated to an unfair oblivion that this work is trying to repair. Feeling the need to locate Pages on the environment in which he developed his scientific work, we try to realize a vision of the main surgical and anesthetic contributions of surgeons who were contemporaries with Pages. With special sake, we delve into the historical precedents of spinal or caudal anesthesia techniques, as well as Pages later descriptions on the lumbar approach of the epidural route. At the same time, we conducted a comparative analysis of the work of Pages on metameric anesthesia in relation to the current force that may have their comments, descriptions, indications and contraindications. The central idea of the work will focus on the recognition of Pages as a true promoter of the epidural approach with surgical aims. And to evaluate a work which, though short, may well be included among the best spanish surgeons in the beginning of the century. We focus for the collection of data on their records (Zaragoza and Madrid), on his records as a military doctor and on publications about the History of Anesthesia, history of Surgery and of the Military Health. To better know his character we have located his family and review the official journals of the Ministry of War, the complete collections of the main newspapers of the time, especially in Madrid and Melilla.