UConn Health Neurosurgeon brings care to Peru and shares the experience with his father.
Dr. Christopher Conner, UConn Health neurosurgeon and Dr. Christopher Conner, his dad.
For Dr. Chris Conner, director of Functional Neurosurgery at UConn Health, a recent medical mission to Peru was about more than providing life-changing neurosurgical care to underserved patients. It was also an opportunity to share a meaningful professional milestone with someone who inspired his own path in medicine – his father.
Conner recently traveled to Lima, Peru, as part of a longstanding international medical mission that brings advanced spine surgery expertise and training to one of the country's largest public hospitals. The weeklong trip marked his second visit with the program and included a unique addition this year: his father, an experienced surgeon who has participated in dozens of medical missions around the world.
"It was the first time my father had ever seen me working in the operating room," Conner says. "That made it incredibly special."
The annual mission, organized by veteran neurosurgeon Dr. Andrew Wakefield and a team of volunteers, has served patients in Peru for more than two decades. The group partners with Daniel Alcides Carrión National Hospital, a major teaching hospital in Lima that cares for many of the country's most vulnerable patients.
During the trip, Conner and his colleagues performed approximately 15 complex spine surgeries while working alongside Peruvian neurosurgeons and residents. Medical device companies donated implants and surgical supplies, helping provide procedures that many patients otherwise could not afford.
Beyond patient care, education is a major focus of the mission.
"We're not just going there to do surgeries," says Conner. "We're helping train residents, sharing techniques, and building relationships that allow them to continue providing advanced care long after we leave."
Joining Conner was UConn Health neurosurgery resident Dr. Anthony Diaz, who participated in surgeries and educational exchanges with Peruvian trainees. Conner says exposing residents to global health experiences is an important part of their development as physicians.
"It teaches adaptability, teamwork, and resourcefulness," he says. "You learn how to solve problems in environments that don't have all the resources we're accustomed to in the United States."
The experience also offered a powerful reminder of how medicine transcends borders.
While Daniel Alcides Carrión National Hospital performs highly sophisticated procedures and serves as a respected training center, resources remain limited. Surgical teams often must find creative solutions when equipment or supplies are scarce.
"It really resets your perspective," Conner says. "The physicians there are incredibly talented and dedicated. They accomplish remarkable things despite challenges that would be difficult for many of us to imagine."
For Conner, watching his father interact with the team and seeing the mission through his eyes added another dimension to the trip.
Having spent years hearing stories about his father's humanitarian work, he now had the opportunity to stand beside him in the operating room, caring for patients and sharing expertise with the next generation of surgeons.
"It was a full-circle moment," Conner says. "My father has spent much of his career doing medical missions around the world. To be able to work alongside him and learn from his experience while helping patients was something I'll never forget."
Looking ahead, Conner hopes to expand the collaboration between UConn Health and the Peruvian hospital. Plans include increasing educational exchanges, involving additional residents, and exploring opportunities for year-round virtual case discussions and training.
"If we can help them build capabilities that impact hundreds of patients throughout the year, that's where the real value is," Conner says. "That's how you create a lasting difference."
As Father's Day approaches, Conner says the trip served as a reminder of the influence parents can have on their children's careers and values.
"This was about much more than surgery," he says. "It was about service, mentorship, and being able to share something meaningful with my father. That's something I'll always carry with me."
