Meet Dr. George Kaptain: A Leading Neurosurgeon in New Jersey on 30 Years of Subspecialized Care
For more than two decades, Dr. George Kaptain, MD, FAANS has helped shape the philosophy and growth of New Jersey Brain and Spine as a neurosurgeon specializing in brain, spine, skull-base tumors and pituitary tumors. As NJBS celebrates 30 years of practice, Dr. Kaptain reflects on the practice’s evolution, its guiding values, and the future of subspecialized care in New Jersey.
- What was your vision for the practice when you joined the board?
When I joined the practice in 2003, NJBS was a three-person group. The partners who hired me had an idea that was unique—which was not to focus on volume or profit, but to build a group defined by offering personalized and sub-specialized neurosurgical care. While a neurosurgeon who manages all aspects of neurosurgery can offer excellent service, patients benefit from the experience of a surgeon who is focused.
I embraced and benefited professionally from this philosophy, and it has guided our recruitment of talented young neurosurgeons whose interests complement the practice as a whole. We all share a goal: to provide attentive and quality neurosurgical care to those in our community—the people that live around us. If we can accomplish this then we will have been successful.
- How does that feed into the values that shape NJBS today?
The values of the practice are enduring. We care for people the way we’d want our own family treated. We are all diligent and conscientious and we trust each other to do what’s in the patient’s best interest. When a patient’s problem would be better addressed by another surgeon’s expertise, the patient is referred to that surgeon. This consideration of putting the patient first has always defined the practice.
- How do you and your colleagues stay ahead of the curve in such a rapidly advancing field?
I stay current by reading, listening, and lecturing. Preparing for a lecture is time consuming and requires focus. It is in fact a deep form of learning that allows me to internalize new ideas which often translate into clinical practice.
I’ve also been involved in clinical trials, including studies using alternating electrical fields for brain tumors, gene-based therapies, and initiatives where we study tumor tissue selflessly and generously donated by patients to better understand the genetic and epigenetic factors that influence tumor growth. Those efforts depend on collaboration with scientists and colleagues who help us understand tumor biology and how to help people live better and longer.
- What should referring physicians know about when to reach out?
No question is too small. I always try to make myself available to my physician colleagues. Every brain tumor doesn’t spell the end, and not every tumor requires surgery. Sometimes surveillance is the most appropriate course of action. I have always felt the heavy burden of weighing the risks of surgery with the risks imposed by the natural history of the tumor to make the best recommendation for the patient.
- As NJBS celebrates 30 years, what are you most proud of?
We’ve established great relationships within our medical community and have the resources to perform the most complex operations while managing patients from their diagnosis to the formulation of a treatment plan and through recovery. I’m also proud of the way in which we have expanded our research programs, advancing treatments in neuro-oncology, pituitary, movement disorders, vascular, spine, and epilepsy surgery—all aspects of neurosurgery. Having been a contributor to this incredible collaborative transformation has been an opportunity that I value greatly.
Want to learn more about Dr. Kaptain? Watch one of his latest videos here and learn more about the value he places on a cautious approach to brain tumors here.
