Dr. Manzanal

A journey dedicated to health

Born in San José, Costa Rica, on October 25, 1983. Despite not having any medical family members, Dr. Santiago Manzanal always showed interest in the field of health and research. Since he was a child, he liked challenges, and always wanted to dedicate himself to versatile, dynamic work that was not routine, which is why he dedicated himself to orthopedics and traumatology.

Vocation and training

From an early age, Dr. Manzanal felt a deep vocation for medicine. His interest in the human body and its functioning led him to study at the University of Medical Sciences (UCIMED) in early 2002. He obtained his degree as a general physician and surgeon 6 years later (2008). Later, his search for knowledge and improvement motivated him to choose a surgical specialty.

Thus, he chose orthopedics and traumatology, a dynamic surgical branch that allows him to treat various age groups (children, young people, older adults, athletes, etc.) to improve their quality of life. To this end, a postgraduate degree at the University of Costa Rica (UCR) provided a solid foundation in this specialty, however he has always sought new approaches in the international management of musculoskeletal injuries. This is why in 2016 he participated in the renowned international educational program of AO Trauma, at the Santa Fé Foundation (Bogotá, Colombia), where he acquired knowledge with world leaders in complex trauma such as Dr. Rodrigo Pesantez and Dr. Carlos Olarte.

He also spent 1 year (2016 -2017) completing a Fellowship in Hip and Knee Joint Reconstructive Surgery (focused on joint replacements) at the 12 de Octubre Hospital in Madrid, Spain. (Top Hospital in Spain)

A path of success and commitment

Throughout his career, Dr. Manzanal has sought medical excellence. He has worked for more than 15 years at the CCSS (Costa Rican Social Security) and has performed thousands of successful surgical procedures. Most of his work is done at the San Vicente de Paul Hospital (Heredia), La Católica International Hospital (San José) and Clínica Bíblica Hospital (San José).

His passion for teaching has led him to become a graduate professor at the University of Costa Rica (UCR), where he shares his knowledge and experience with the new generations of doctors. He has also been a featured speaker at national and international conferences and has participated in multiple debates on the latest advances in the field of orthopedics.

A doctor dedicated to the patient

Dr. Manzanal has always believed that a patient who is well informed about his injury has better results. For this reason, he created the Joint Replacement Clinic at the San Vicente de Paul Hospital, a project that analyzes complex cases of hip and knee joint reconstruction, together with the same patients and other colleagues to investigate osteoarthritis and other degenerative joint diseases.

Beyond medicine

Beyond his professional facet, Dr. Manzanal is passionate about football and a regular follower of the Alavés Sports Club, from the Basque region in the north of Spain, where his father comes from. This club has granted him the status of honorary member.

Dr. Santiago Manzanal focuses his practice and daily work on evidence-based medicine. This means that his treatments are based on international guidelines and protocols, from specialized journals, expert groups and consensus of orthopedic surgeons worldwide.