Doctor: Ex-Pres. Arroyo regains consciousness after 2nd surgery

Hours after a second operation to correct an area around an implant during her first surgery, former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has regained consciousness from the effects of sedatives administered on her, a doctor said early Thursday afternoon. "The former president is already conscious and is now staying at the coronary care unit," Dr. Juliet Cervantes of the St. Luke's Medical Center read Mrs. Arroyo's latest medical bulletin. Even though the second operation failed to fully restore the implant, doctors are trying their best to control the infection in the nerve near the area, she said, adding that a brace will be fixed around Mrs. Arroyo's neck to have an external support for her spine. "Aggressive management is expected to fully control the infection in the coming week," she said. Cervantes reiterated doctors order to strictly keep visitors away from the former president, saying treatment of infection in the nerve requires a highly-controlled clinical environment. Also, she said former First Gentleman Mike Arroyo was present throughout last Wednesday night's operation. Last July 29, Mrs. Arroyo underwent surgery for a pinched nerve in the neck. She was discharged on August 5 and was advised to stay in her house in Quezon City. — LBG, GMA News