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Fitial’s hurdles his second ‘successful’ surgery
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Posted on Dec 05 2006
Gov. Benigno R. Fitial went through another surgery early yesterday morning to correct his lower back problem.
According to press secretary Charles P. Reyes Jr., the procedure was performed at 4am (Saipan time) at the UCLA Medical Center.
“It was a successful operation. The governor gave the acting governor (Lt. Gov. Timothy P. Villagomez) a call shortly after the surgery to let him know that everything went well. The governor thanks everybody for the prayers and continued support,” Reyes said yesterday.
Fitial is not expected back in the Commonwealth until January 2007.
“He wants to get back to work as soon as possible. He is eager to come home,” he said.
Finance Secretary Eloy S. Inos is in Los Angeles, California, with the governor. He left Monday, Dec. 4, 2006 and is scheduled to return on Dec. 13, 2006.
Reyes also said that the governor had a chance to meet with his special legal counsel, attorney Joel Bergsma, to discuss certain policy issues before the surgery.
Fitial has been away on medical leave since Oct. 4, 2006. He had neck surgery on Oct. 31, 2006 to correct his spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the spinal canal that places pressure on the spinal cord. His surgery yesterday addressed a similar medical condition affecting his lower back.
The procedure was performed by a surgical team at the UCLA Medical Center. Heading the team was Dr. Jeffrey Wang, chief of the UCLA Comprehensive Spine Center whose specialty covers cervical spine, lumbar spine, and degenerative disorders. Wang’s research areas include novel gene therapy and minimally invasive techniques for spinal surgery.
