'GMA may have to undergo another risky surgery'

MANILA, Philippines - Former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo may have to undergo another risky surgery because the condition of her neck bones remains unstable, her spokesperson and a political ally said yesterday.

Her spokesperson, Ma. Elena Bautista-Horn, and House Senior Deputy Minority Leader Danilo Suarez said in separate interviews with The STAR that Arroyo is being looked after by several doctors, one of whom is a distant relative, at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) where she is detained on charges of electoral sabotage.

Horn and Suarez, however, said Arroyo’s doctors would have to make more visits and possibly conduct more tests on her before deciding if she needs to undergo a fourth operation on her cervical spine.

Horn said one of the VMMC consultants, Dr. Antonio Sison, a distant relative of Arroyo, said she has barely recovered since her last surgery in August at the St. Luke’s Medical Center (SLMC) in Taguig City.

He ordered the placement of a stiffer neck brace on his patient.

“He’s (Sison) not happy with the way things are going but he’s still going to try to wean her (Arroyo) away from the neck brace,” she said.

Arroyo, 64, first underwent surgery in July to stabilize her deteriorating cervical spine with titanium implants.

However, a few days later, doctors found out that the implants were dislodged and decided that another operation should be done to correct it.

The second surgery was aborted when doctors saw that there was an infection. On the third surgery in August, surgeons added more implants and placed bone grafts taken from her hip bone.

The former leader attempted to seek treatment in Singapore after the Supreme Court lifted the travel ban against her in November.

She was, however, barred from leaving by the Bureau of Immigration and placed under arrest a few days later.                       

The government has barred media interviews with her and restricted visits to lawyers, relatives and close allies.

Suarez said Arroyo was worried over her medical condition during his last visit to her last month.

“I think the doctors would come out with a medical opinion on her condition,” he said.         

Meanwhile, Arroyo’s office at the House of Representatives said that an economic paper she wrote detailing the country’s outlook would be presented to the media on Thursday.