Beware of Santol Seed Swallowing - An Advocacy - A Legacy
Since 2001 up to the present, 2018 (17 years now), I am into an advocacy to create public awareness on the danger of swallowing santol seeds. I have tried to create awareness in the broad sheets, tabloids, radios, televisions, and Internet before. Now I concentrate on the Internet, particularly Facebook.
Pls. see the following:
https://xsantolseedswallowing.wordpress.com/
http://ommcsurgery.tripod.com/publiced/advisory/santoladvisory/santoladvisory.htm
http://ommcsurgery.tripod.com/publiced/advisory/santoladvisory/santoldetails.htm
I discovered the phenomenon in 2001 when I was Chairman of the Department of Surgery of Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center when in one of the conferences, a resident presented a patient with perforation of the sigmoid colon which contained swallowed santol seeds and no intestinal tumors at all. After this first case, there would be similar cases about 2 to 3 cases a year. This prompted me and my surgical residents to search the literature for such incidents. We found one report from Thailand {Somboonpamya P. Sigmoid colon perforation by ingested Sandorica seeds. J Med Assoc Thai 2001; 84(12):1751-3}. True enough, there was such an event or phenomenon, usually, in older patients and in the sigmoid colon, even in the absence of evident pathology in the intestines.
From then on, starting 2001, as the Chairman, I led my department in an advocacy to create public awareness on the danger of swallowing santol seeds. We have tried to create awareness in the broad sheets, tabloids, radios, televisions, and Internet. This has been picked up by Dr. Willie Ong, Dr. Raffy Castillo, and other medical writers.
After my retirement from Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center, I have continued with my advocacy of informing the public.
Up to now, 2018, there are still reported cases of swallowed santol seed causing perforations. I don't know exactly how many cases I have prevented since 2001. What I know is that more people are now more aware and have avoided swallowing santol seed.
I hope the Department of Surgery of Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center, the Department of Health or the Philippine College of Surgeons or the Philippine Society of General Surgeons or the Philippine Society of Colorectal Surgery will one day continue my advocacy in informing the public not to swallow santol seeds so as to prevent unnecessary intestinal perforations, operations, and even death.
Beware of Santol Seed Swallowing is an advocacy that I will continue till I die or disabled or until the abovementioned health agencies will take over my task of informing the public and saving them from unnecessary harm. I have been doing this advocacy for 17 years now (as of 2018).
This is a legacy that I leave and will leave behind.
References:
MAIN:
https://xsantolseedswallowing.wordpress.com/
OTHERS:
http://ommcsurgery.tripod.com/publiced/advisory/santoladvisory/santoladvisory.htm
http://ommcsurgery.tripod.com/publiced/advisory/santoladvisory/santoldetails.htm
https://rojosonmedicalclinic.wordpress.com/category/santol-seeds/
https://rojosonfacebooknotes.wordpress.com/?s=santol
https://www.facebook.com/pg/ROJosonMedicalClinic/photos/?tab=album&album_id=606810519340001
ROJ@18nov12;19sept18