When a patient visits a doctor, it is usually because there are no other options left: they feel unwell, have suffered an accident, or are dealing with a chronic condition. Upon arriving at a hospital or clinic, they need to feel well cared for and protected; they seek understanding and resolution of their discomfort, if possible. It is true that there are "good doctors and not-so-good doctors," just as in any profession, but when you’re feeling unwell, nothing is more important than maintaining your health! This is why it can be so challenging to find a professional who, in addition to being a skilled physician, is a wonderful human being who can make you laugh even when you feel like you're at your lowest. Today, we have the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Carlos Cabrera Álvarez, an orthopedic surgeon and a friend.
I met him during my struggles due to my recurrent knee injuries at the "Frank País" and "Fructuoso Rodríguez" hospitals in Havana; and when I needed him most, after the passing of the eminent orthopedic surgeon and professor Rodrigo Álvarez Cambra in 2023, and the departure of my other great doctors Liván and Heysel.
I know you left and arrived in the United States. Where are you?
I am in the U.S., simply wishing to seek opportunities in another location or country and do what I enjoy most, which is "my Orthopedics"; teaching and educating the younger generations. I arrived six months ago, have a visa, and live with some cousins in Lehigh Acres (half an hour from Fort Myers).
They have reached out to me and supported me when I was at my lowest. I only aspire to continue teaching; at my age, I hold onto my experience, even though my hands no longer cooperate.
I came for a "visit," to wait for the year and a day that the law stipulates. I want to obtain my residency and see where I can spend my life, coming and going. I'm exploring options because I want to see where I can find work: in Colombia, here, or in Hong Kong. I have retired. The Carlitín you knew wants to go to Spain.
Tell me about your life. Why medicine and not baseball?
I was born in the town of Melena del Sur, home to some exceptional baseball players like Luis Ignacio González, Michael González, and the great Jorge Carlos Soler, our outstanding MLB player. I studied Medicine and, as you rightly say, I wasn't a baseball player—perhaps partly due to my parents' influence—because what I truly enjoyed were sports, and my main skill was in judo. Believe me, I could have achieved great heights in judo, as that martial art has always been my greatest sporting passion.
A judoka was lost, but a great orthopedic surgeon was gained who, by the way, has had the opportunity to heal many of them.
When we talk about passion, the greatest of all, in any sphere of life, it is medicine. I wanted to study sports medicine, but in my time, you had to be a high-performance athlete to pursue it. However, I will never regret having trained as an orthopedic surgeon. I have always been drawn to surgical specialties, and above all, orthopedics, which I dedicated my entire life to. After completing my specialization, I spent a long time working on the treatment of pediatric conditions, while still continuing to work with adults.
I spent 47 years of my life in this field out of the 50 years I will complete as a doctor this year, as I graduated in 1974. I specialized in orthopedics at the "Fructuoso Rodríguez" Teaching Orthopedic Hospital, and my professors were luminaries in this specialty, such as Professor Martínez Páez, the illustrious master of masters, Professor Rodrigo Álvarez Cambra, Professor Alfredo Ceballos, and others like Cintas, Barrero, and Grau.
I imagine that after 50 years in your career, you have accumulated many experiences and anecdotes. Is there one that stands out to you? Indeed, I have practiced medicine for 50 years, and if I were to tell you the number of surgeries I have participated in, I would be lying. The times I have restored mobility to a particular organ or seen a patient smile, I would be lying.
There have been many, but one that I will never forget is when I operated on the driver of the Cuban ambassador in Guyana. The operation itself wasn't very complex, but Kenth Odean, which is the patient's name, had been in a cast on his leg for five months and was afraid of losing his job; they even talked about amputation. I examined him and first set out to treat a soft tissue infection: I performed a Phemister graft, and that eliminated the infection. From there, we continued with the treatment, and the man was as good as new.
In an interview he gave, he said: "I am Guyanese, but I have a Cuban leg," and that was the title of that interview. I will never forget it, just as he doesn’t forget me.
I have worked and operated not only in Guyana but also in South Africa and in several provinces of Cuba. I also remember a patient with multiple congenital anomalies, Jennifer Álvarez Betancourt. She had a severe shortening of one limb, which I was able to lengthen, and just a few days ago, her parents—who are more like family than just patients—heard a YouTube video on the subject and called to express their gratitude for my professionalism. To my delight, she is now in her fourth year of medical school.
Another memory from Guyana: another patient, Walter Lee, suffered an accident and developed gas gangrene. I explained to him that only amputation would save his life. It was a terrible situation; he eventually agreed, and afterward, once he understood what was happening to him, he expressed his gratitude. There are moments when hesitation can cost a patient their life. And where does your passion for medicine come from, specifically orthopedics? Is there a family tradition in it?
My mother, Norma, was a homemaker, although for a time she worked in tasks related to tobacco harvesting, such as stripping leaves. My father Berto (Juan Gualberto, born on July 12, just like Juan Gualberto Gómez), a man very knowledgeable about the history of Cuba, instilled in me a love for baseball because he played semi-professional baseball in Quivicán. To be honest, both of them infused me with that passion for the game.
Did everyone support the same team?
Hahaha, just imagine: my father played second base for the Cigarros Genert team and had the chance to play alongside Quilla Valdés, Adrián Zabala, among others... But what a dilemma! My parents were Habanistas and I was Almendarista; of course, I would never dare say that out loud. They would have killed me. In the Major Leagues, my father was a fan of the St. Louis Cardinals, while my mother and I supported the New York Yankees (a love that endures; we’re in the World Series finals this year, and even though we’ve lost three games to the Dodgers, I still have faith in my team).
You know that a few years ago a book was published on sports traumatology, and it didn't mention the pioneer of that specialty who helped so many great athletes like Mireya Luis, Regla Torres, Javier Sotomayor, Alberto Juantorena, Dalia Henry... I mean, it's quite a long list. You, who are already showing some gray hair, can you tell me something about that?
That omission was a crime against humanity; it was like trying to cover the sun with a finger. Notice that the book was withdrawn. Professor Álvarez Cambra is unparalleled, and everyone knows that. The problem is that in our country, envy prevails, and the mediocre try to overshadow talent. Moreover, in my time, it was not like it is now; it was not how Álvarez Cambra shaped it.
Back in the 70s, athletes would seek treatment at whichever hospital they could, or with a friend who was an orthopedic specialist. During that time, I treated Rolando Verde, José Modesto "Chiki" Darcourt, Eduardo Cárdenas, and Luis García, all excellent baseball players. However, what followed was a magical period when sports traumatology reached its true value, and I can tell you this because it was indeed real. Despite the human shortcomings that seek to overshadow that golden era, the fact remains that the Frank País Orthopedic Hospital, under the guidance of Álvarez Cambra, began to provide care for injured athletes.
Many sports legends have been operated on there. In addition to those I already mentioned, add Frederich Cepeda, a remarkable player from Sancti Spíritus who is still active despite being over forty years old, and the five-time Olympic champion Mijaín López, so as not to overwhelm you with names in this interview.
Eminent orthopedic surgeons such as Dr. Luis Fleites Lafont, Hugo Mirandez, Abella, Gastón Arango, Entenza, Aurelio, and of course, the excellent and highly worthy student of his professor, Dr. Liván Peña Marrero, have worked there. He operated on many of them and now lives in Spain with his wife, the orthopedic surgeon Heysel, and their family.
Regarding athletes, what are the most common ailments in high-performance sports?
In sports trauma, the most common injuries, in addition to the trauma itself, are overuse injuries. For example, in baseball, there is the elbow injury and the Tommy John injury; in football, there are the capsular and ligamentous injuries of the knee. In general sports, the musculoskeletal system is subjected to significant stress, which leads to these injuries.
Carlitos, it is very difficult to find at this time someone like Liván, Hugo, or René Anillo, who are outstanding professors in sports traumatology. What is your opinion on current Cuban medicine?
Oh, Julita! I'm not talking to you about sports traumatology; I'm speaking in general about medicine. And not just in Cuba, but around the world. Medicine has become dehumanized; it's all about money and interest. It has turned into diagnoses and tests, and the "clinical mother" has been largely forgotten.
Cuba has turned to this criterion. Without complements, a good diagnosis cannot be made; however, without clinical practice, there is no diagnosis either. In Cuba, doctors struggle greatly to work due to a lack of resources and working conditions. The pressure under which Cuban doctors operate and the low salaries contribute to a decreasing number of physicians in the country. The conditions in hospitals are terrible; that's... that's no secret to anyone!
What do you think?
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