Faces of Medicine: Meet Dr. Eddy Garrido
Dr. Eddy Garrido has been performing neurosurgery in Lancaster County for more than 25 years. He expresses great appreciation for this area’s medical community, and admits to the same drive and compulsion that defines most individuals in his specialty. He is one of the skilled neurosurgeons of Lancaster NeuroScience & Spine Associates, and a vital part of the area’s health care delivery system.
Background
Agricultural life is familiar to Dr.Eddy Garrido, who lived his first ten years on a farm in the Dominican Republic. His father, Luis, and mother, Rosa moved the family from the country to the city of Santo Domingo to provide their children – six boys and two girls – with the best educational opportunities. The decision paid off, with all the siblings going on to successful careers in medicine, teaching, civil engineering, and law. Five of them make their homes in the Dominican Republic, with one brother in New York City and a sister in Miami. They all remain close and very much in touch.
Dr. Garrido graduated from the University of Santo Domingo Medical School, and served his surgical internship at Hotel Dieu Hospital, Kingston, Ontario. He completed his neurosurgical residency at Tufts New England Medical Center, where he served as chief neurosurgical resident. He also underwent training in pediatric neurosurgery at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.
Dr. Garrido is attracted to the intense focus required for the highly specialized surgeries he performs, which include tumor removal, aneurysms, gamma knife procedures, and spinal surgery.
While he was working as a professor of neurosurgery and chief of cerebrovascular surgery at Temple University School of Medicine, he was invited by Lancaster’s neurosurgical group to visit Lancaster. Dr. Garrido liked what he saw, and he liked the idea of leaving the city and moving to a country setting, since he was raising two daughters.
A former basketball player in medical school, he enjoys watching the NBA, with loyalty to the ‘76er’s. Same regional loyalty with baseball – he roots for the Phillies. Jogging, tennis, skiing and traveling are favorite leisure activities. Opera and classical selections fulfill his musical tastes. It might surprise some people to know that the last book he read was Andy Rooney’s Common Nonsense. His daughter, Joanne, is a lawyer in Philadelphia, and daughter Jill, a recent college graduate, lives in Colorado. He also welcomed a new grandson, Peter, this year.
On being a neurosurgeon
“I could not think of being anything other than a physician. I believe that neurosurgery attracts physicians who tend to be more driven about their work, more compulsive with detail. I particularly enjoy doing surgery for brain aneurysms and removing benign brain tumors and acoustic neuromas. I think that it’s very important to spend time really listening to patients, understanding their complaints, and attending to all of their medical needs. While most of the patients I treat are adults, I do enjoy taking care of pediatric patients as well. As I work with my patients when they are struggling, I gain a deep appreciation for life and the value of well being.”
On the delivery of medical care
“I think that Lancaster offers an excellent medical community, and I hope that the population is able to appreciate it. The U.S. health care delivery system is, in my view, the best in the world. Certainly things can be improved, but there is no equal to it. I think that the government should work toward putting medical insurance within reach of the millions of people who are deprived of medical care because they cannot afford health insurance.”
On how to live a healthy life
“I advise people to develop a lifelong commitment to regular exercise, no smoking, limited alcohol, and most importantly, I tell them to maintain a healthy weight.”
