Arroyo undergoes 7-hour surgery for infected spine implant

ARROYO RETURNS TO HOSPITAL. Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo waved to the crowd at the St. Luke’s Medical Center in Fort Bonifacio last Aug. 5, 2011 after undergoing surgery for her cervical spine the week before. Arroyo returned to the hospital for another operation Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2011, to remove the spine implant that had been infected, the cause of which her doctors were still trying to determine. FILE PHOTO/COURTESY OF ST. LUKE’S MEDICAL CENTER

MANILA, Philippines – Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo underwent a second surgery on Wednesday to remove an infected implant on her cervical spine, her attending physician told a news conference on the same day.

Dr. Juliet Cervantes said the operation on Arroyo at the St. Luke’s Medical Center in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City took seven hours.

The former president underwent surgery last July 29 for cervical spondylosis, an age-related deterioration in the bones of the neck, causing a misalignment in the spine which in turn puts pressure on the nerves that transmit signals to the upper extremities. A titanium plate was implanted in the part of Arroyo’s neck to realign the deformed spine.

But Dr. Cervantes said that after Arroyo was discharged from the hospital last week, infection set in, requiring a second surgery to remove the damaged implant.

Cervantes said that Arroyo’s neck was being held by an “external support” in lieu of the implant.

She said that Arroyo would undergo a third operation for a new implant once her condition improves.

As of posting time, Cervantes said Arroyo was unconscious although her vital signs remained stable.