A Radiologist Who Lived in Japan
– Dr. Seksan Kittivanakul –
Turning Struggles into Strength
If you have ever had an X-ray, you might wonder if there is a doctor permanently stationed there. If you have ever had a CT scan, you might question why you hear sounds but do not see the doctor. If you have undergone an ultrasound, that is probably the only diagnostic radiology procedure where you have interacted face-to-face with a specialist. However, the crucial role of Dr. Seksan Kittivanakul, a diagnostic radiologist at BNH Hospital’s Medical Diagnostic Imaging Centre, is to interpret the images from these procedures for diagnosis. It is often unsung work for a doctor whose presence patients rarely notice, yet it is a vital cog in determining the direction of their treatment.
And this doctor, whose presence often goes unnoticed by patients, wants them to know him as another dedicated individual working tirelessly to improve their quality of life.
An Exchange Student in Japan
Once upon a time, in primary school, eight-year-old Seksan was asked by his teacher to call his friends to help set up tables for the Loy Krathong festival. It was lunchtime, and the children were happily running about, with one group playing sword fighting using plastic rulers. Young Seksan ran right into the middle of it.
Suddenly, the scene shifts to a hospital. The doctor informed him that he had internal bleeding in his eyeball, caused by a friend’s ruler accidentally hitting him. For a month afterwards, Seksan lay in the hospital with one eye covered. In truth, his condition was not severe, but as he was a child and the eye is a delicate organ susceptible to permanent damage, doctors preferred to keep him under close observation.
“During that time, I saw many patients in the eye department, mostly elderly, and I witnessed doctors and nurses at work. This was likely one of the inspirations that made me want to study medicine.”
During his final year of secondary school (Mathayom 5), Seksan spent a year as an exchange student in Japan through the Rotary Club programme. He lived with host families in the suburbs of Tokyo, cycling to the train station every day and taking the train to school.
“I changed host families seven times in one year. It wasn’t that they didn’t like me, but everyone wanted me to stay, so I only stayed about two months at each place. Most were parents whose children had already graduated from university, so they were lonely.”
Although not compulsory in Japan, after-school clubs were popular, with over half the students participating. Since he was living abroad, he decided to join, choosing the archery club.
“It wasn’t really fun. It was more like meditation and discipline training. For the first six months, they only taught us the correct posture without letting us shoot at a target. But eventually, I secretly practised shooting on my own when no seniors were watching.”
Making friends in Japan was incredibly difficult because most students did not use English. In the beginning, when Seksan had not yet learned the language, he relied on a dictionary to communicate with Japanese people, as this was 30 years ago and smartphones with Google Translate did not exist. Fortunately, a university student who had been an exchange student abroad and could speak English invited him to do various activities.
After one year in Japan, Seksan had to take much responsibility for himself, adapt to a different culture, and embrace the extreme discipline characteristic of Japanese people. The lessons that helped him mature then are still valuable today. He never imagined that he would eventually become a doctor treating international patients, including Japanese people.
The Animal Averse
After his year in Japan, Seksan did not repeat a school year; he passed equivalency exams. He still wanted to pursue a medical career and gained admission to the Faculty of Veterinary Science at Chulalongkorn University.
“At first, I thought if I couldn’t treat people, I could treat animals. I thought I would like animals, but it turned out I was mistaken because I liked watching animal documentaries and thought about livestock farming, even though I usually don’t touch animals, not even dogs or cats. Meanwhile, my friends would kiss dogs and loved animals dearly.”
During the first year of Veterinary Science, students studied foundational subjects similar to other faculties in the public health sector, so Seksan did not interact much with animals. That changed when he had to participate in a freshman orientation activity on a farm.
“There were 100 sheep in an area of three to four acres, and they told 20 people to round them up. And the sheep ran everywhere!”
Another task involved attending a public health camp in a rural province with other faculties in the same field.
“My friends dragged me to vaccinate chickens. The chickens were all huddled together in large cages, and they told us to take them out. From handling sheep to handling chickens, I realised this wasn’t for me.”
The following year, Seksan became a first-year medical student at the Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn Hospital. He completed various rotations in different wards, observing the work, talking to patients, and doing on-call shifts. He discovered his aptitudes and dislikes in each task, then chose his preferred path in his final year (Year 6).
“I enjoy playing ‘spot the difference’ games, so I thought radiology would suit me.”
The Doctor in the Dark Room
Dr. Seksan believes he is not talkative, even though as a child, he was once so chatty his teacher scolded him.
“During primary school, my report card would say I was talkative. But the turning point was probably in Year 5. In class, the teacher asked us to draw 10 dream professions. While drawing, I talked to my friend the entire class, but I also drew. At the end of the lesson, the teacher reprimanded me in front of the class. And in Year 1, I talked so much that I was punished by having to stand on one leg, holding a ruler in my mouth, in front of the class. After that, I changed. I had to think more before speaking.”
He lived with the belief that he was not talkative and was an introvert for a long time. Even when choosing his specialisation, he still opted for diagnostic radiology, a field where he hardly needed to converse with patients.
But during his mandatory rural service at a community hospital in Ayutthaya Province, a patient with an intestinal condition, whom he regularly cared for, had to be readmitted. Suddenly, the patient refused to eat. His wife came to ask Dr. Seksan to talk to him. After conversing, the patient cheered up and agreed to eat. That was just one case that helped boost his confidence in interacting with patients.
“When I went to pay taxes at the district office, a tax officer recognised me and said, ‘Are you Dr. Seksan? People say you’re very good.’ I thought I was just a newly graduated doctor doing what I was told. But it changed my perception of myself too, because normally, with people I don’t know well, I don’t talk much.”
Later, when he pursued diagnostic radiology, most of his interactions with patients occurred during prolonged ultrasound examinations. However, he always observes whether the patient is receptive to conversation, as information about their illness is usually provided by the attending physician, and some patients prefer to lie quietly.
“Most people don’t remember me, but some do. Once, I was exercising at the gym, and a patient’s relative recognised me. There was one time a colon cancer patient came to thank us because I was the one who performed the ultrasound and found the cancer. I was impressed that he remembered me even though we were together in a dark ultrasound room for only a brief moment.”
Dr. Seksan has now worked at BNH Hospital for over 10 years.
“What impresses me most here is that my colleagues are excellent. The hospital isn’t too large either, which makes communication easy and case referrals simple, especially since my radiology work constantly requires collaboration with other departments.”
As a doctor whose duty is to identify abnormalities in the body, sometimes patients come for one issue, but if the radiological examination can detect another abnormality in the same session, Dr. Seksan often performs the additional check. This ensures patients receive Complete Care – comprehensive and integrated care.
“For instance, with our ‘2C1U’ package, which involves a CT scan to check for calcium in the coronary arteries and lungs, and an ultrasound of the carotid arteries, we also include a thyroid ultrasound. Normally, these are done separately, but we offer it as an extra. The benefit is for the patient. As a side effect, we’ve found about 40 cases of thyroid cancer after performing approximately 4,000 carotid artery ultrasounds over six years. That’s a significant number, as all these patients were asymptomatic, and the smallest tumour found was only 3 millimetres. Some even showed spread to lymph nodes in the neck.”
“Regarding low-dose CT Chest scans, we’ve found lung cancer in about 50 asymptomatic patients. Two-thirds of these were Stage 1 or 2, which are operable and respond well to treatment. Many patients have achieved complete remission and have not developed new lung cancers or experienced disease progression. Beyond lung cancer, low-dose CT Chest scans also revealed cancer in other organs outside the lungs in approximately 28 cases, such as breast, kidney, and liver cancer.”
“Our happiness comes from accurately diagnosing patients, enabling them to receive the correct treatment. This brings happiness to us, the attending physicians, and the patients and their loved ones. We love being useful to others.”
Diagnostic radiologists like Dr. Seksan may not be on the front lines of patient care, but they are a crucial force that makes Complete Care truly complete. Their brief yet impactful work can transform a patient’s anxious waiting period into one of renewed hope and encouragement.
ทำนัดหมายแพทย์ออนไลน์ | Appointment
Seksan Kittivanakul, M.D.
Diagnostic Imaging Centre
Specialty
Diagnostic Radiology
Language
Thai, English
– Thai Board of Diagnostic Radiology, Chulalongkorn University (2007)
– Radiology
– Ultrasound
– CT
– MRI
– Mammogram
– Aspiration/biopsy under ultrasound
– 2008-present Radiologist in Samitivej Srinakarin hospital
– 2010-present Radiologist in BNH hospital
– 2005 Doctor of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University
– 2010 Thai Board of Diagnostic Radiology
Doctor’s Schedule
| Day | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 13:00 – 19:00 | Diagnostic Imaging Centre |
| Tuesday | 07:30 – 16:00 | Diagnostic Imaging Centre |
| Wednesday | 07:30 – 16:00 | Diagnostic Imaging Centre |
| Friday | 07:30 – 17:00 | Diagnostic Imaging Centre |
| Saturday | 07:00 – 18:00 | Diagnostic Imaging Centre |
| Sunday | 07:30 – 16:00 | Diagnostic Imaging Centre |