GMA may also need bone biopsy

MANILA, Philippines - Former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo needs to undergo a bone biopsy that can only be done abroad in order to determine the cause and cure for her rare bone disorder, a close ally in the House of Representatives said yesterday.

Senior Deputy Minority Leader and Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez said the recommendation for Arroyo to have a bone biopsy abroad was contained in the medical abstract from the St. Luke’s Medical Center (SLMC) that he was able to read when he visited the lawmaker on Tuesday at her residence in La Vista, Quezon City.

His disclosure was confirmed by SLMC vice president for corporate communication Marilen Lagniton, who said there are no facilities for such tests in the country.

“The former president’s doctors at the SLMC are not ruling out some kind of a bone disease and that procedure (biopsy) is not available here,” Suarez said in a telephone interview.

“(A) rare metabolic bone disease could not be totally ruled out and she may require a bone biopsy,” he said, quoting a portion of the medical abstract.

He said Health Secretary Enrique Ona was able to confer with Arroyo’s doctors when he visited her upon the request of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, who wanted a third party certification on the medical condition of the former president.

Suarez surmised the biopsy was also necessary to determine whether Arroyo could be cured through stem cell treatment as sought by her husband Jose Miguel Arroyo in Germany in September.

He said Arroyo looked thin and was visibly uncomfortable with her head and neck brace. The contraption was adjusted three times by her nurse during his visit, he said.

“She is recovering from her surgery but I’m not sure about her long-term healing. I’m sure the controversies surrounding her are also taking a toll on her health but she wouldn’t admit that, knowing her,” Suarez said.

Arroyo underwent three surgeries to relieve pressure on a pinched nerve in her cervical spine but the titanium implants were dislodged due to her brittle neck bones.

Doctors attributed her weak bones to a condition called “hypoparathyroidism,” which prevents the production of calcium necessary for her healing.