I I I Patterson
06-29-2008, 09:22 AM
June 29, 2008
Search Login or register Home Delivery Text size: Paterson gets fourth eye surgery in nearly six weeks
BY JAMES T. MADORE | james.madore@newsday.com
11:41 PM EDT, June 28, 2008
ALBANY - For the fourth time in nearly six weeks, Gov. David A. Paterson had one of his eyes operated on Saturday morning.
Doctors at The Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan removed a cataract from the governor's left eye -- from which he can see nothing. The cataract was discovered when Paterson, who is legally blind, complained last month of severe pain caused by acute glaucoma.
The surgery took place shortly after 8 a.m. and involved Paterson bng sedated for about 100 minutes, though he was unconscious for only about one minute, his spokeswoman Risa Heller said. By early afternoon, Paterson, 54, was resting at his Harlem home and expected to resume his regular schedule Sunday.
The state's current No. 2 official, Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre), was told of the operation because he would have to govern if Democrat Paterson were temporarily incapacitated. "There was no formal transfer of power," Heller said. "Skelos did nothing as governor during this period of time."
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See what's going on in and around your area >> New York hasn't had a lieutenant governor since March 17 when Paterson succeeded Eliot Spitzer, who resigned as governor amid a prostitution scandal. Under the constitution, Skelos, as Senate chief, is next in the line of succession.
Heller said the cataract surgery was successful, with doctors finding nothing else wrong with Paterson's eyes.
Paterson first checked himself into the hospital on May 20 after suffering hours of severe eye pain brought on by what he believed was too much reading of the instructions for an iPod given him by his daughter. But doctors soon diagnosed acute glaucoma in his left eye and to relieve the pressure performed a five-minute laser procedure, called an iridotomy. It was done on the right eye a few days later as a precaution.
Paterson again experienced pain in his left eye on June 16 en route to his son's graduation from junior high school. The governor diverted to Mount Sinai for another laser procedure and then attended the ceremony. At the time, he said he would have the cataract removed once the regular legislative session ended, which occurred Wednesday morning.
Paterson was expected to attend Sunday's gay pride parade on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.
Search Login or register Home Delivery Text size: Paterson gets fourth eye surgery in nearly six weeks
BY JAMES T. MADORE | james.madore@newsday.com
11:41 PM EDT, June 28, 2008
ALBANY - For the fourth time in nearly six weeks, Gov. David A. Paterson had one of his eyes operated on Saturday morning.
Doctors at The Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan removed a cataract from the governor's left eye -- from which he can see nothing. The cataract was discovered when Paterson, who is legally blind, complained last month of severe pain caused by acute glaucoma.
The surgery took place shortly after 8 a.m. and involved Paterson bng sedated for about 100 minutes, though he was unconscious for only about one minute, his spokeswoman Risa Heller said. By early afternoon, Paterson, 54, was resting at his Harlem home and expected to resume his regular schedule Sunday.
The state's current No. 2 official, Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre), was told of the operation because he would have to govern if Democrat Paterson were temporarily incapacitated. "There was no formal transfer of power," Heller said. "Skelos did nothing as governor during this period of time."
Related links
Mug shots: Suffolk drug bust
View the arrested >>
Nassau's DWI Wall of Shame
View the wall of shame photo gallery >>
Local Police Mugshots
View police mugshot photo gallery >>
Local Photos of the Day
View photos of the day gallery >>
Car accidents on LI
View car accident gallery >>
Long Islands Class of 2008
Meet LI's 2008 valedictorians and the whole senior class.
Newsday's LI Newsmap
See what's going on in and around your area >> New York hasn't had a lieutenant governor since March 17 when Paterson succeeded Eliot Spitzer, who resigned as governor amid a prostitution scandal. Under the constitution, Skelos, as Senate chief, is next in the line of succession.
Heller said the cataract surgery was successful, with doctors finding nothing else wrong with Paterson's eyes.
Paterson first checked himself into the hospital on May 20 after suffering hours of severe eye pain brought on by what he believed was too much reading of the instructions for an iPod given him by his daughter. But doctors soon diagnosed acute glaucoma in his left eye and to relieve the pressure performed a five-minute laser procedure, called an iridotomy. It was done on the right eye a few days later as a precaution.
Paterson again experienced pain in his left eye on June 16 en route to his son's graduation from junior high school. The governor diverted to Mount Sinai for another laser procedure and then attended the ceremony. At the time, he said he would have the cataract removed once the regular legislative session ended, which occurred Wednesday morning.
Paterson was expected to attend Sunday's gay pride parade on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.