Manny Diaz, MD

Bio

I was born in Cuba and immigrated with my family to Los Angeles at the age of seven. I grew up in Los Angeles and attended UCLA as an undergraduate, majoring in biology. Growing up, I knew that I wanted to be a doctor from a fairly young age. Being bilingual, I often found myself in the role of accompanying family members to doctor visits as a translator, and it was partly from this exposure that I became interested in medicine. Although I wasn't sure what kind of doctor I wanted to be, I usually thought in terms of primary care, something like a family doctor.

After college, I moved to San Francisco to attend medical school at UCSF. I actually had no exposure to anesthesia and had not even given it any thought until I did my anesthesia rotation in medical school, which happened to be my very last rotation before graduation. During that rotation I learned what an exciting and interesting field anesthesia could be. By that time, however, I had accepted a position in an internal medicine residency. So after graduation from medical school I moved back to Los Angeles to start my residency at the UCLA-San Fernando Valley Program. It was almost an additional two years before I decided that I wanted to dedicate myself to the practice of anesthesia. After three years in Los Angeles, two as a resident, I moved back to San Francisco to complete an anesthesiology residency at UCSF. I began working at Kaiser Santa Rosa in 1989, upon completion of my anesthesia residency.

Since then, I have been very happy with the specialty that I chose and with the hospital in which I practice. I feel fortunate to have been able to practice in a department that is made up of dedicated professionals, in a facility that supports us with ready access to the best technology and consultants. I view my work as helping to make surgery and anesthesia as safe as possible for patients, while at the same time maintaining an environment that is caring and respectful.

My Medical Specialty

More details about my specialty:

There are a number of reasons why I find Anesthesiology such a rewarding specialty. First, I have the opportunity to treat patients of all ages, from small children to older adults. Secondly, contrary to what one might at first think, Anesthesiology is a very broad specialty. Because a wide range of medical problems can impact the course of a patient's anesthesia and surgery, an Anesthesiologist must be able to draw upon knowledge from such diverse fields of medicine as cardiology, pulmonology, and endocrinology, in addition to anesthetic pharmacology and physiology. In addition to the intellectual challenges, I appreciate that Anesthesia provides me with opportunities to work with my hands, e.g., performing nerve blocks, spinal anesthetics, and epidurals.

But one of the most rewarding aspects of my practice is the opportunity for interaction with my patients. This starts with the preoperative interview, during which I learn about patients' medical histories, explain what to expect from Anesthesia, and answer patients' questions. While as an Anesthesiologist I do not often get to know patients on an ongoing basis, I do consider the patient-physician relationship a very important part of my practice. I find that for many people, undergoing anesthesia/surgery is a frightening and stressful experience. There are many reasons for this, but some or the most common ones include fear of complications, fear of pain, and loss of control. The challenge for an Anesthesiologist is to develop, usually in a relatively short period of time, a relationship of trust and confidence.

My specialty interests and affiliations within my field:

In addition to my responsibilities in the operating room, I have an interest in pain management and bringing an Anesthesiologist's specialized skills and expertise to bear on issues of postoperative pain.

Great health resources that I refer to:

American Society of Anesthesiologists (asahq.org)

California Society of Anesthesiologists (csahq.org)

Interests

My favorite book or author:
Wallace Stegner

Hobby Photos & Links:

View of Marin water district from Mt Tam

View of Bay from Mt Tam

Mt Tamalpais trail

Family & Friends

Travel

One of my recent trips:

One of my favorite vacation spots is Mammoth Lakes in the eastern Sierras. Most people associate Mammoth with skiing. I do not ski, but I have gone twice to Mammoth during the summer. The first time I camped for a week with my family, the second we splurged and stayed in a condo. Mammoth Lakes consists of a cluster of beautiful lakes within easy driving or even walking distance of each other. In addition to enjoying the scenery, we enjoyed the fishing and even the occasional dip in the very cold water. On days when we felt more energetic, we took day hikes into the surrounding Sierras.