Women’s health, education, humanity: the core of life.
On February 6, 2025, died a man of undoubted academic spirit, Professor Xavier Iglesias Guiu. Xavier was the professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Barcelona, full academician of the Royal Academy of Medicine of Catalonia and of the Royal European Academy of Doctors and a member of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
The son of a rural doctor, Xavier Iglesias was born in Torregrossa (Lleida, Spain) in 1936. At the age of 17 he moved to Barcelona to study medicine. He was a restless student and his education was not limited to the university in Barcelona, as just after obtaining the degree of doctor of medicine he moved to the United States to be trained in obstetrics and gynecology. In the United States, Professor Iglesias served his internship at the Mount Sinai Hospital in Miami, completing his specialization at the Harlem Hospital Center (New York) dependent on Columbia University. He returned to Barcelona with an American vision of the specialty and with very clear ideas of what needed to be improved in obstetrics and gynecology in Spain.
After arriving in Barcelona in 1971, he obtained his PhD from the University of Barcelona; afterwards he worked as a lecturer, first at the University of Zaragoza and subsequently at the University of Barcelona where he was promoted to full professor, a position he held until his retirement.
The professional career of Professor Iglesias had always been linked to the Hospital Clínic de Barcelona (HCB). He started as an intern student during his medical degree studies and arrived to become the head of the Gynecology and Obstetrics Department. In 1968 the HCB underwent a process of professionalization of the healthcare services, with Professor Iglesias being one of the main coordinators of the program; adequate, modernized management along with financial investments initiated continuous and very successful growth in both clinical and research field, which has transformed the hospital into the institution with the highest quality scores in medical services and research in Spain.
Academic value
His career as extraordinary surgeon and university professor earned him the title of a full member of the Royal Academy of Medicine of Catalonia and of the Royal European Academy of Doctors, particularly by virtue of his invaluable contribution in the fields of gynecological oncology, vaginal surgery and pelvic floor pathology.
In addition, regarding scientific and social institutions, Professor Iglesias chaired the Family Planning Section of the Academy of Medical Sciences of Catalonia, the Oncology Section and the Pelvic Floor Pathology Section of the Spanish Society of Gynecology and Obstetrics. His professional life had been marked by his commitment to education, which led him to occupy the positions of Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Vice-Rector at the University of Barcelona, and to be a key person in the implementation of the Faculty of Medicine in the University of Lleida. But his commitment to teaching was expressed above all through his dedication to the training of generations of medical professionals. He was very close to his students, instilled in them the value of research, transmitted his intellectual generosity and his enormous human quality.
His contribution to the medical field translates into over 156 manuscripts published in scientific journals, 60 chapters in books, 93 national and international conferences and 14 supervised doctoral theses - an expansive curriculum that is difficult to achieve. His knowledge, extraordinary for those times, and his exceptional surgical skills which distinguished him throughout his professional life, were the key factors that inspired him to his continuous commitment to innovation and training.
As his disciples we had the opportunity to deeply experience some aspects of his personality, such as his attentiveness, courtesy or kindness, that made him unique - an archetype of a professional and human being.
Professor Iglesias was able to see the best in each of us in the early periods of our professional lives, when everything was uncertain. He advised us, he did it with all his wisdom, his serenity and his confidence, he made each of us believe that everyone could achieve everything that we wanted to do.
Kindness and humanity had been part of his essence until the end of his life. We will always miss him and all of us who consider ourselves his disciples will permanently keep in our souls the seed of his wisdom and humanity until the end of our days.
From the depth of our hearts, thank you very much Professor Iglesias.
Rest in peace.
Barcelona, March 25th, 2025
Montse Espuña
President of the he European Urogynaecological Association
Camil Castelo-Branco
President of European Society of Gynecology
