Arroyo to undergo surgery anew to fix dislodged plate in spine

MANILA, Philippines—The titanium plate connecting four levels of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s spine has been dislodged, requiring another surgery to fix the metal implant, her physician, Dr. Juliet Gopez-Cervantes, said on Tuesday.

The medical team attending to Arroyo was investigating how the implant was displaced, Cervantes told reporters Tuesday evening.

The emergency reconstructive surgery on Arroyo’s neck was scheduled for the morning of Wednesday, the doctor said.

Arroyo was scheduled for a checkup at noon on Tuesday, but because of the pain she initially felt on her right upper arm, the former president came to St. Luke’s Medical Center in Global City earlier than her appointment, Cervantes said.

When the pain similarly developed in her left arm, doctors evaluated her again, and tests showed the implant was dislodged, the doctor explained.