15 low-income patients get free surgeries

It started a year ago, Rechilda Zapanta said. Images appeared blurry; the glare of lights made her squint; the needle she had threaded so often with ease was nearly impossible to see. Over time, the cataract in her left eye grew more troublesome, and Zapanta was forced to leave her job as a seamstress in a dress shop.

Without medical insurance, Zapanta said, the surgery she required was out of her reach. But last week, the 74-year-old Azusa resident received surprising news: She could have the cataract removed — for free.

The offer was made through Kaiser Permanente in Baldwin Park, which hosted a free “community surgery day” Saturday. Physicians, nurses and other medical staff volunteer their time to treat low-income patients who are uninsured or underinsured.

Reclining on a cot and tucked beneath a white blanket, Zapanta giggled as nurses buzzed about her. “I’m lucky,” she said. “I can’t believe it; it’s such a blessing.”

Dressed in maroon pajamas and wearing a blue cap, she waited to be wheeled into an operating room.

Kaiser Permanente has held free surgery days across California for several years, teaming up with local clinics that recommend patients.

The Baldwin Park facility hosted its first event in April, after physicians requested that their hospital join the effort. Working with East Valley Community Health Center in West Covina, the hospital determined the type of surgeries they would offer and who would receive them.

The surgeries were all outpatient procedures and involved hernias, gallbladders, cataracts and carpal tunnel ailments. Such afflictions can greatly hinder mobility but are not life-threatening and often go untreated, doctors said. The out-of-pocket payment for the surgeries is estimated to be about $15,000 or more per patient, said Maggie Pierce, executive director of the hospital.

Eight surgeons, 10 anesthesiologists and 92 volunteers, including nurses, arrived early Saturday morning to tend to 15 patients. Most of the patients were the primary providers for their households and would be able to return to work within a few weeks. The hospital hopes to host the event once or twice a year and has been overwhelmed by the volunteer offers from staff members, many of whom already work 60 to 80 hours a week.

“I’ve seen people struggle, going through the county with long waiting periods,” said Dr. Diana LaPlace, who helped implement the program along with Dr. Philip Mercado, the hospital’s chief of general surgery. “If we can put them back into a position where they can take care of their family, that’s what we need to do.”

Purveen Kadri, 56, grinned at the thought of ridding her left hand of the numbness and burning pain left by two decades of carpal tunnel syndrome. The assistant manager of a shoe store — a position that does not come with health insurance — Kadri said the operation would help her work even harder at her job. Her son, Ali, shook his head at her health predicament.

“She works full time, raised a family and she can’t afford a simple surgery. It’s ridiculous,” he said. “A lot of people have to resort to this to get the kind of care they need.”

For Andres Lopez of La Puente, a 65-year-old grocery store stocker suffering from a hernia, the notion of free surgery was still tough to believe.

“I’m nervous about not being charged,” he said. “I feel I might get a bill later on.”

After the surrounding medical staff quickly assured him that their services were entirely complimentary, he seemed a little more convinced.

corina.knoll@latimes.com