Dr. Daniel Capen has worked in operating rooms all around the world, from his time in medical school at the University of California at San Francisco to teaching in Australia and working in Dubai. So the Manhattan Beach resident knows how lucky he is to call Long Beach’s Pacific Hospital home. During his 12 years there, Capen has been an integral part of the hospital’s growth as a center for spinal expertise, growing over the years to amass a current team of 10 spinal surgeons and premier facilities.
“The hospital has really grown in being a spinal center of excellence,” he says. Speaking in his Downey office last Friday, Capen treats the interview the way he must treat his surgical procedures: methodically analyzing each question before delivering his well-prepared answer, which is impressive, considering that Friday must have been a very hectic day for him.
Dr. Capen and a team of about ten other physicians left on Saturday, headed for Peru to embark on an expedition that Capen takes about every six months. For one week, the team will diagnose dozens who have come from miles around to seek their help. During that time, they’ll provide world-class assistance to people who do not normally have access to their level of expertise. Capen estimates that the team will operate on 12-20 patients during their time in Peru.
By this time today, Tuesday March 31, Capen and his team have likely seen dozens of hopeful patients and are probably in the middle of a surgical procedure at this very moment. They cannot possibly work with everyone that comes to them, but by working with local surgeons and hospitals, they will leave behind invaluable wisdom and equipment so they can be better prepared to care for their patients when the team leaves. Pacific Hospital donated masks and gloves to bring to the Peruvian hospital, and Capen himself donated an expensive surgical tool called a C-Arm a few years ago. Gifts like these are vital to medical progression in the South American country.
“They have a little technology and [Pacific Hospital] has been very kind by letting me take some equipment that can be used,” Capen says. “The [Peruvian] doctors are very well-educated, they know what to do. They just don’t have the equipment or the experience.”
That will take some time to change, but Capen and his team are doing a lot to speed up the process.
Dr. Capen examines charts during a past visit to Peru. Photos provided by Christine Cipriani
But he wouldn’t be doing it at all if not for EagleCondor (click here for their website), a Salt Lake City based non-profit organization that organizes charitable expeditions all over the world. Their fundraisers make the trips possible, and the organization constantly approaches physicians like Dr. Capen to get involved. EagleCondor also sends humanitarian teams – often comprised of the doctors’ spouses and children – to provide nearby communities with essential skills and assistance.
From self-sufficient farming techniques to creating fish farms, it’s easy to tell that their visits have made a lasting impression, and Capen says that he’s seen progress in Peruvian medical treatment “without question.” Still, it’s not the same level of quality that we enjoy here.
“Everybody knows that it’s not going to be like walking into a U.S. operating room. You always wonder if you’re going to get into a situation where they don’t have things you need,” he says. “One of the things I’ve realized is how lucky we are, and how blessed I’ve been. It’s almost like a time travel.”
A Peruvian operating room, equipped with the C-Arm donated by Capen. Provided by Christine Cipriani.
But for many Peruvian patients, a visit from Capen and his team can be miraculous. They’re sometimes able to properly treat and even correct crippling spinal conditions that would go untreated or improperly treated if not for special attention. It’s what makes them stand in line for hours to be examined by these visiting heroes.
“Sometimes after surgery there, I feel like it’s the best thing I do. In a way, that’s probably why I keep doing it.” Each time he takes the trip, Capen says he is amazed by the level of gratitude he receives from the patients. When he returns from this current expedition, chances are he’ll just begin to plan the next one.
“At this stage in my career, I probably get more out of it than they do.”
Photo by Russell Conroy
By Ryan ZumMallen, Managing Editor