Maricel Soriano undergoes spinal procedure in Singapore

Maricel Soriano revealed that she recently underwent a minimally invasive spine procedure in Singapore to treat her spinal arthritis, a condition that had long affected her mobility. 

Soriano made the revelation in a recent interview with Bianca Gonzalez on TFC’s BRGY, sharing that she underwent discoplasty, a non-surgical procedure performed with robotic assistance. 

“‘Yung ginawa nila ‘yung back ko muna. Alam mo ang galing nila kasi walang operation na naganap. Ang tawag nila dun sa ginawa sa akin ay discoplasty. May eight holes ako sa likod tapos robotics na ‘yung gumawa,” she shared. 

(They worked on my back first. You know, they’re really good because there was no actual operation. What they did is called discoplasty. I have eight holes on my back and it was done using robotics.) 

The 59-year-old actress said the procedure brought immediate relief, saying, “Pagtayo ko wala ng sakit. Instantly magaling na ako,” (When I stood up, there was no more pain. Instantly, I was healed.)

As defined by neurosurgeon Dr. Prem Pillay in Singapore, discoplasty is a minimally invasive surgical technique used to treat neck and lower back pain caused by damaged or degenerated intervertebral discs. 

Soriano said the treatment came at a crucial time as she was filming her new movie “Meet, Greet & Bye,” which also stars Piolo Pascual, Belle Mariano, Joshua Garcia, and Juan Karlos Labajo. 

“Tuwang tuwa nga kami kasi mas kailangang kailangan ko ng mas maging maliksi sa scenes na gagawin namin. Nagampanan ko naman. Salamat sa Diyos,” she expressed. (We were so happy because I really needed to move more actively for my scenes. I was able to perform well. Thank God.) 

The veteran actress plays an ailing mother in “Meet, Greet & Bye,” which is set to be released on Nov. 12 in Philippine cinemas. 

In a vlog posted last April, Soriano opened up about her struggle with spinal arthritis and a pinched nerve, which caused numbness and difficulty in walking. 

“Kasi ‘yung spine ko may arthritis hanggang leeg ko. Tapos nung first na-experience ko ‘to, in-injectionan na ako sa likod. Tapos ‘yung sumunod dahil hindi pa nawawala ‘yung pain, kasi side lang eh, so ginawa nila mismong sa spine nila ako sinaksakan ng steroids,” she shared at the time. “Tapos matagal bago nag-effect kaya iika-ika akong maglakad, tsaka ‘yung paa ko, manhid, parang may mga karayom na tumutusok.” 

(My spine has arthritis all the way to my neck. At first, they injected my back, but when the pain didn’t go away, they injected steroids directly into my spine. It took a while before it took effect. I walked with a limp, and my leg felt numb, like needles pricking.)

The Diamond Star recalled that she had to undergo physical therapy, including aquatic walking and stretching exercises, to manage her pain. 

Soriano also extended advice to those dealing with similar health struggles and urged them to hold on to their faith. 

“Doon po sa mga tao na may sakit din na ganito, when your body talks, you listen. Dapat ganun eh. Sabi kasi nila what you eat today will walk and talk tomorrow,” she said. 

(For people going through this, when your body talks, you listen. That’s how it should be. They say what you eat today will walk and talk tomorrow.) 

“Tsaka huwag kang matatakot, nandiyan si Lord. Tsaka dapat lagi natin isipin ‘yung ibang tao nagawan ng himala, di ba? Ikaw pa ba eh love ka ni God,” continued the seasoned star. 

(Don’t be afraid, God is there. And always remember, if miracles happened to others, why not to you, especially since you’re loved by God?) /edv