From the Governor’s Office:

Update on Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Health…

This morning, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger underwent successful surgery to repair his right femur, which he fractured while skiing in Sun Valley, Idaho on December 23, 2006. The surgical team performed an open reduction internal fixation on the upper part of the thigh bone. The surgery lasted an hour and a half, the Governor was cleared to resume his duties as Governor at approximately 10:45 a.m. and he is expected to have a full and speedy recovery.

Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Kevin Ehrhart today issued the following statement regarding the health of Governor Schwarzenegger:

“At 9:45 this morning our surgical team, consisting of myself, two assistant surgeons, an anesthesiologist and two nurses, completed a successful open reduction internal fixation on the upper part of Governor Schwarzenegger’s thigh bone. The surgery involved using cables and screws to wire the two main fragments of the Governor’s broken femur bone back together. It lasted approximately an hour an a half, was without complication, and the post-operation x-rays look great.

“Following the surgery, the Governor was awake, alert and talking in the recovery room. He is now fully coherent and I have cleared him to resume his duties as Governor. The Governor will remain in the hospital for three days, as is standard for this type of operation. Recovery will take approximately eight weeks and I expect the Governor to fully recover. The Governor is not in a cast and will use crutches to walk while his leg heals.”

First Lady Maria Shriver issued the following statement today following Governor Schwarzenegger’s surgery:

“When we checked Arnold into the hospital on Christmas night he was looking forward to his surgery. He has been in good spirits.  He asked when he could get back to work and he’s looking forward to his inauguration next week. Our children and I are grateful for everyone’s support and prayers.”

Statement by Legal Affairs Secretary Andrea Hoch regarding governing of the state:

“I have notified Lt. Governor Cruz Bustamante that Governor Schwarzenegger has been cleared by Dr. Ehrhart to resume his duties as Governor.”

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 26th, 2006 at 12:00 am and is filed under Blog Posts.