Screen legend Liz Taylor‘s secret surgery!
Liz Taylor faces another painful crisis as she mourns the death of her close friend Michael Jackson – she recently had surgery to remove a painful cyst from her spine, The ENQUIRER reports exclusively.
The 77-year-old movie legend was hospitalized at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on July 13. The following day, doctors operated on her back to relieve excruciating pain she’d been suffering.
"The stress of Michael’s death was made worse by a searing pain in her lower back," a longtime pal told The ENQUIRER.
"Liz had a cyst on a vertebrae, and she said when it flared up, it felt like a red-hot poker. She was going out of her mind with pain."
Dr. Richard Berger, a renowned orthopedic surgeon told The ENQUIRER that even small cysts on the spine can be very painful.
"We do what’s called a keyhole surgery, a small incision into the spine and remove the cyst. We then replace the void created with bone or another type of filler to stabilize the spine. The operation is not pleasant," said Dr. Berger, who has not treated Liz.
While there were apparently no complications, "Liz is so fragile now, even the smallest problem could become a medical catastrophe," said the source.
Her battle with chronic back pain dates back to a childhood riding accident during the filming of the 1944 movie National Velvet. Over the years, she has suffered additional spine injuries and has had hip replacement surgery three times.
"She’s trying to get well again. She’s trying to move forward," the pal added.
"But the reality is, Liz is still in a state of shock over Michael’s death. And this new back problem hasn’t helped."
