By Ike Señeres
They call him the "ShuntMan", referring to "shunting", the medical method of artificially creating a passage between two natural body channels such as blood vessels, to divert or permit flow from one pathway through another, often by way of a bypass. "Shunting" is the surgical procedure used to save the life of hydrocephalus victims, many of whom are young children.
They call him the "ShuntMan", referring to "shunting", the medical method of artificially creating a passage between two natural body channels such as blood vessels, to divert or permit flow from one pathway through another, often by way of a bypass. "Shunting" is the surgical procedure used to save the life of hydrocephalus victims, many of whom are young children.
Dr. Manuel Arce Cacdac, a member of the Society of Philippine Surgeons in America (SPSA) has been a co-team leader with Dr. Pacifico Dorado in medical missions going back and forth to and from the United States for many years now. Although he has performed shunting procedures on hydrocephalic children in the provinces during these missions, it is the first time that more than twenty patients need shunts in Metro Manila at one instance. Dr. Dorado is a general surgeon practicing in Ironton, Ohio.
Sometimes with a medical team, and sometimes by himself, Dr. Cacdac returns to the Philippines perform free hydrocephalus operations in poor communities here. In a recent "one man" surgical mission to Metro Manila from February 4 to February 10, he and other neurosurgeons and residents performed surgical operations on 18 children, and left behind "shunts" for 4 babies who could not be operated yet during his visit, due to medical problems at that time.
Cacdac, a neurosurgeon from Terre Haute, Indiana, is just one of the many members of SPSA who come home regularly to bring their expertise back to the Philippines, as a way of helping their home country. Numbering about 300 members, SPSA is composed mostly of Filipino surgeons and doctors from other medical practices in the United States, all very accomplished in their respective fields.
As an added benefit to the country, local Filipino doctors and residents in training who assist in the medical missions are able to learn the latest procedures from the visiting doctors, thus turning these missions into an informal technology transfer program. During his last visit, he operated with residents of the East Avenue Medical Center who were very appreciative of his expertise. By the time that he left after his February visit, he had already trained several local neurosurgeons and residents, enabling them to put in the "shunts" that he had left behind.
Using their connections in the foreign hospitals and clinics where they are working, SPSA members are able to solicit equipment and supplies for them to use during their medical missions. In an interview with Cacdac, he told me that each "shunt" costs about 600 to 1,000 dollars depending on the brand, such that the children who benefit from the procedure would not be able to afford the supplies if they were to but it on their own, adding that it would have been "impossible" for him to do the operations without the support of the donors.
Working practically alone when he visits and with only the help of a few friends, Cacdac somehow manages to get the support of local hospitals for him to use their operating rooms. Either that or he is able to find sponsors who are the ones who pay for the use of the operating rooms. In his last visit, the operating rooms and hospital beds were sponsored by the Kapwa Ko Mahal Ko Foundation through the efforts of Ms. Connie Angeles and Fr. Jun Padua who made all the arrangements with the local hospitals and gathered all the patients. The SM Foundation through Ms. Debbie Sy and Mr. Harley Sy paid for all the operating room and hospital charges. The shunts were donated to Cacdac by Integra Life Sciences, Inc.
In a report that he sent to SPSA members, Cacdac was happy to note that he received tremendous support from the medical staff of the hospitals where he performed his operations, adding a yet happier note that many hospitals have now offered their facilities to be used by the association in their future visits. In particular, he cited the medical and nursing staff of the East Avenue Medical Center, the Children's Medical Center and the Jose Reyes Memorial Hospital for the support that they extended to him.
To most laymen, hydrocephalus is known to be a medical condition that causes the swelling of the heads of victims who are mostly children. In a sentimental note, Cacdac makes special mention that the majority of patients who are operated on during their medical missions are below two years old. He explained that not unless these patients are "shunted", the accumulation of fluids would cause their heads to swell. In layman terms, he explained that by way of "shunting", drainage is created so that the fluids would be diverted to their stomachs, thus preventing the swelling of their heads.
Also known in layman terms as a condition that builds up "water in the brain", hydrocephalus is due to a problem with the flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), the liquid that surrounds the brain and the spinal cord. According to the MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, "CSF moves through pathways of the brain called ventricles. It also flows around the outside of the brain and through the spinal canal. Higher-than-normal amounts of CSF can occur in the brain if the flow or absorption of CSF is blocked, or if too much CSF is produced. The build up of fluid puts pressure on the brain, pushing the brain up against the skull and damaging or destroying brain tissues".
Another member of SPSA, Dr. Reynato Faylona travels to the Philippines each winter to treat patients in poor communities here. A general surgeon who cares for patients in Dells, Wisconsin, Dr. Faylona comes home to treat cancer patients. He recalls that in one of his visits here, he was surprised to remove a tumor that was the size of a basketball. Born is Manila, he would make it a point to go to the provinces during his visits.
This month, Dr. Daniel C. Fabito, a surgeon from St. Louis, Missouri will also be here until February 7, to conduct a medical-surgical mission in Dagupan, Pangasinan. Dr. Fabito is also a member of SPSA.
Last December, the SPSA also sent a medical mission to Legaspi, Albay in the area that was devastated by typhoon "Reming". In that mission, they performed 176 major surgeries, 170 minor surgeries and 37 eye cases. In a previous mission to Calbayog, Samar a year earlier, the SPSA also performed 548 medical and surgical procedures in the area that was devastated by typhoon "Durian" and typhoon "Utor".
Amid all the inspiring news that comes out of the SPSA medical missions however, Cacdac laments the fact that they are still experiencing some minor difficulties in passing their equipment and supplies through the Bureau of Customs, pointing that in several prior trips, they had to pay for expensive customs duties out of their own pockets. He is hoping that in future trips, partners and donors would help the SPSA in logistically shipping the medical equipment and supplies to the mission sites here, inspired by the contagious charitable spirit of the SPSA doctors.
The author is host of "KOL KA LANG", a daily radio program in Radio Veritas about justice and livelihood. Email iseneres@yahoo.com, text 09293605140, visit http://senseneres.blogspot.
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