For the first time in the history of Zamboanga del Norte, two cases of brain surgery were performed recently at the operating room of Dipolog Medical Center by neurosurgeon Dr. Gaudencio Arseno Tan Ligutom III.

Using DMC’s state-of-the-art neurosurgery equipments, Dr. Ligutom operated on a gunshot victim who sustained a through-and-through bullet wound on the front area of the head. The surgery, which lasted just over eight hours, was done to limit the damage in the brain’s frontal lobe and remove bone fragments driven by the impact of the bullet. Prognosis for the case was not very promising due to the initial involvement of the patient’s other body systems which became detrimental factors for recovery and also due to complications expected in major trauma cases.

The second brain operation involved the removal of a meningioma, or a tumor on the brain’s protective sheet-like covering, which started to compress the patient’s brain structures in addition to being outwardly manifested in the head like a horn. The procedure was performed by Dr. Ligutom the day after the gunshot case, and was completed after a mind-boggling ten hours. Full recovery was expected for the patient, who was discharged after 8 days; successive check-ups showed no negative signs or symptoms.

Under the vigilant supervision of DMC’s Medical Director, both surgical operations went through without a hitch, serving as a huge milestone in the history of the fast-growing hospital and as a quantum leap in the history of Zamboanga del Norte as well. In both cases, veteran nurses and midwives Maria Lindy Jandug, Doreen Lacay, Marife Divinagracia, Aileen Abapo, Gerry Balladares and a few volunteer student-nurses assisted the neurosurgeon, making him relaxed during the operation and rendering recovery easier for the patients. It was through the marvelous insights and efforts of the Surgical and Nursing Staff that DMC made such history.

Neurosurgery is the most difficult field of specialization in medicine, and there are only less than one hundred doctors in the entire Philippines who are qualified neurosurgeons. Neurosurgery cases usually include those which cannot be treated by any other conventional means, and some of them are trauma cases, such as those due to vehicular accidents that involve the brain, spinal cord, or nerves. Often, brain operations imply that the alternative is irreversible, severe or fatal.

About the Neurosurgeon:

Dr. Gaudencio Arseno T. Ligutom III, Dipolog Medical Center’s resident neurosurgeon, is a brilliant specialist whose extraordinary skill is about as rare as it is amazing, given the sensitivity of the body system he deals with. His career started off with an incredible academic record that was highlighted with his being a two-time Medical Board Topnotcher, one for his pre-med course Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy (8th Place, 1996 Pharmacist Licensure Exam), and the other for his Doctor of Medicine degree (7th placer, 2001). He graduated from the University of San Carlos in his pre-med, and from the Cebu Institute of Medicine for his medical degree; he had his General Surgery Training in the University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center (Quezon City, Manila) from 2002-2003. He was also appointed as the chief resident of UERMMMC from 2003-2006, during which he was a recipient of the Philippine College of Surgeons, Johnson & Johnson Philippine Surgical Residency Scholarship Program. Dr. Ligutom is now a certified Diplomate in the Philippine Neurosurgery Society.

Dr. Ligutom was born in Talisay, Cebu, and it was perhaps because of his roots that he decided to share his expertise not in the medically advanced cities of Manila but in Mindanao. On March of 2007, he came to Ozamis to explore the possibility of practicing neurosurgery in the area, and in the process convince Ozamis doctors to develop their neurosurgery unit. He set foot in Misamis University Medical Center in the morning and was immediately at the operating room in the afternoon, operating on a head trauma patient who had bleeding inside his head. The patient was discharged after 2 weeks.

In the next five weeks, Dr. Ligutom performed six neurosurgical operations in Ozamis City. Realizing that neurosurgery is a real need even in areas where people have not really grasped its significance, he decided to look into extending further his service, and later met with Dr. Stephen Yap, Medical Director of Dipolog Medical Center.

Dr. Ligutom emphasizes that neurosurgery per se is not just about the procedure, which is not something ordinary people can do itself, but it is also taking care of the patient after the operation. He further states that he looks forward to a revolutionized neurosurgery practice in Zamboanga del Norte, especially looking into the not-so-healthy practice of having to send critical patients to Cebu or Dumaguete due to unavailability of local specialists, increasing the risks of further injury. The need is there, and the neurosurgeon has demonstrated a commitment, in addition to his prodigious skill, to answer to that need.

Dipolog Medical Center is now ready to accept neurosurgical and stroke patients. For particulars, please call (065)212-2555 or cellular phone number 09186304302.

[Press Release from DMC]