Demapan told reporters yesterday that the scheduled surgery on the governor’s spine did not happen because UCLA Medical Center’s Dr. Jeffrey Wang decided to give Fitial medication instead.
If the medication manages to ease Fitial’s problem with his spinal lumbar numbers 4 and 5, he may not have to undergo a spinal surgery procedure.
The doctor, Demapan said, gave the governor the medication yesterday and will have to look at the spine again today.
Parts of the spine have to be decompressed so that the 65-year-old governor’s mobility will significantly improve.
Demapan said in case the governor still needs surgery, they don’t expect it to be as complicated as the previous one.
Fitial’s first surgery in 2006 was to address the entire spine. This time, it will deal with only two discs.
During the meetings that Fitial attended in Washington D.C., Demapan said back pain still bothered the governor but he had no major issues with his spine.
It was fortunate, Demapan added, that the venues of the meetings were not too distant from each other.
