{"id":8796,"date":"2026-03-24T15:08:26","date_gmt":"2026-03-24T15:08:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/prrf.org\/?p=8796"},"modified":"2026-03-26T17:48:23","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T17:48:23","slug":"a-conversation-with-dr-tony-capone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/prrf.org\/fr\/a-conversation-with-dr-tony-capone\/","title":{"rendered":"A Conversation with Dr. Tony Capone"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"A

A smiling Dr. Capone wears a bright blue Hope for Vision walk shirt and a white hat. He stands across from an individual in a gray shirt who films him on an iPhone for a social media interview.<\/p><\/div>\n

Interview by Jeanne McClellan<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

I am an unabashed admirer of Dr. Tony Capone. So when I asked him if I could interview him for this blog and he enthusiastically and graciously agreed, I was thrilled, but also a little intimidated. He has saved my sight on several occasions, and I\u2019ll admit I have him on a pedestal. But our conversation was a pure joy. He couldn\u2019t have been more forthcoming or down-to-earth.<\/span><\/p>\n

I learned, for example, that in 1966, at just 8 years old, a teacher asked him if he wanted to grow up and be a doctor like his dad, a beloved psychiatrist. \u201cI<\/span> remember clear as day answering with a resounding yes,\u201d Dr. Capone told me. \u201cThat\u2019s the earliest time I remember wanting to be a doctor.\u201d He adds, \u201cI was always a math and science kid. I fell in love with those things: biology, chemistry, and math. I had an aptitude for them. I also loved and respected my dad, so between aptitude and affection I ended up in medicine.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

After graduating from Brown University Medical School, he went to Yale University for his residency, pursuing psychiatry, just like his father. But the field wasn\u2019t the right fit, and it took some courage to say so. \u201cI was afraid my dad would be disappointed, but he just looked at me and said, \u2018I didn\u2019t think it would be right for you, but I wanted you to make your own decision about what you wanted to do.\u2019 I remember thinking, dad, why didn\u2019t you tell me this a year ago!\u201d He laughed at the memory.<\/span><\/p>\n

Psychiatry\u2019s loss was our gain. His second love in medical school was surgery, and two things drew him specifically to ophthalmic surgery: \u201cI really liked the meticulous nature of the work; it\u2019s incredibly fine work. The sutures we use are thinner than a human hair. I liked the meticulousness of it, and I liked how impactful it is.\u201d After considering cardiac and neurological surgery, it\u2019s lucky for us that he ultimately opted for ophthalmology.<\/span><\/p>\n

After a fruitful stint at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, doing research and producing academic publications, he moved to Emory University, where his work with children took off. When I tenderly asked him what it was like to operate on a little baby for the first time and restore his sight, he soberly responded, \u201cI thought, this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.\u201d With this epiphany, Dr. Capone\u2019s journey began.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Emory was at the forefront of retinal surgery, and Dr. Capone helped spearhead the development of pediatric retinal ophthalmic surgery. \u201cWe were treating kids from all over the southeast United States,\u201d he said. He also joined the faculty, spending a decade doing what he loved most: operating and teaching.<\/span><\/p>\n

There were very few pediatric retinal surgeons in the world at the time. One of them was Dr. Michael Trese. The two met at a conference in Greece, and when Dr. Trese extended an invitation to join him in Michigan, Dr. Capone didn\u2019t hesitate. \u201cIn May 2000, I moved with my bride of 15 months and my three-month-old baby to Michigan,\u201d he said with a grin. \u201cI had been a student of his writings,\u201d he added. \u201cI followed everything he wrote.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Working alongside Dr. Trese, and eventually Dr. Drenser, they built a practice that treated infants and children from all over the United States and around the world. Dr. Michael Trese has passed on, but Drs. Capone, Drenser and Dr. Trese\u2019s son Dr. Matt Trese, carry that legacy forward at Associated Retinal Consultants (ARC), now part of <\/span>EyeCare Partners<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

As for what drew him so deeply to pediatric work, Dr. Capone was characteristically candid. \u201cI got married late in life, so these kids were kind of like my kids. And truth be known, they still are.\u00a0 That\u2019s how my passion play began.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Dr. Capone has been affiliated with the Pediatric Retinal Research Foundation (PRRF) since 2009 and currently serves as its President. While the organization has gone through a metamorphosis since it was founded, its current mission is twofold; advancing pediatric retinal research while providing support to families navigating rare eye diseases.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOften I would have a child with a rare eye disease in Michigan, and another parent with a child with the same rare disease in another state,\u201d he explained. \u201cI would informally get them connected so they would have each other\u2019s support. I wanted to formalize that process so we now provide opportunities for connections for parents and families.\u201d His collaboration with EyeCare Partners has enabled him to spearhead an Innovations arm of the organization, which creates continued outlets for him to initiate valued explorations in the field.<\/span><\/p>\n

When I asked Dr. Capone about his heroes, he answered without much hesitation. \u201cI\u2019m lucky, I have had a number of heroes. But I have to say it\u2019s my mom and my dad. My parents emigrated to the States in the 1950s. I think back on that young couple knowing what they were leaving behind; they had nothing when they got here. I know the hard work it took to raise three kids, they gave us educations. They grew up in World War II Italy. They ultimately lived the American Dream.\u201d He paused, \u201cThere were also many wonderful doctors that influenced me greatly. Of course Dr. Trese.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Though he now sees patients only a few days a week, teaching remains central to his life.\u00a0 When I personally go for my appointments, there are always medical residents at ARC. Dr. Capone says undergrads, grad students, and others are there as well, to observe and learn. Over the course of his career, he estimates that he, along with his colleagues, have trained over 100 pediatric retinal surgeons worldwide.<\/span><\/p>\n

When he\u2019s not working, Dr. Capone says, \u201cI always enjoy being with my wife and three (adult) kids. But I am also a runner, an avid fly fisherman, and a hunter.\u201d He is an upland hunter, which means he hunts birds like quail, pheasant, and grouse. His German hunting dog, Blue, accompanies him on his forays.<\/span><\/p>\n

When asked how he would like to be remembered, he thoughtfully replied, \u201cI think, as creative and kind.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Dearest Dr. Antonio Capone, you are a living example of those attributes and countless more, and you have many who can attest to your unparalleled sight-saving accomplishments, your soft-spoken kindness, your generosity, and your humanity.<\/span><\/p>\n

I know I speak for many others, when I say: Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.<\/span><\/p>\n

_<\/p>\n

About the author:<\/p>\n

Jeanne McClellan was born and raised in Royal Oak, Michigan, received a master\u2019s degree in psychology, and worked for approximately 30 years as a counselor and social worker until she retired in 2009.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A patient of Dr. Capone’s and PRRF Volunteer, Jeanne McClellan sits down with our President and gets personal.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":8787,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[43,36,45],"tags":[72,75,74,73,76],"class_list":{"0":"post-8796","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-articles","8":"category-blog","9":"category-personal-stories","10":"tag-capone","11":"tag-doctor","12":"tag-jeanne","13":"tag-personal-story","14":"tag-surgery"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/prrf.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8796","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/prrf.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/prrf.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prrf.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prrf.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8796"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/prrf.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8796\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8801,"href":"https:\/\/prrf.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8796\/revisions\/8801"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prrf.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8787"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/prrf.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8796"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prrf.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8796"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prrf.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8796"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}