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Menino falls, undergoes emergency surgery on knee

E-mail|Link November 9, 2009 12:53 PM

By Donovan Slack, Globe Staff

Mayor Thomas M. Menino underwent emergency surgery this morning to repair a torn tendon in his left knee, an injury he suffered when he fell at his son's house Sunday evening, his spokeswoman said today.

Mayor Thomas M. Menino

Menino, 66, was taken by ambulance last night to Brigham and Women's Hospital, according to a person briefed on the matter. He "missed a step" while walking into the house with his grandchildren, according to Menino's spokeswoman, Dot Joyce.

The two-hour surgery "went very well," according to a statement released by Dr. Thomas Thornhill, chief of orthopedic surgery at Brigham and Women's.

"We were able to repair the tendon directly back to the bone and did not have to use any supplemental material," Thornhill said.

This afternoon Menino was awake and resting comfortably in a recovery room, according to the doctor's statement. He will remain in the hospital for the next three to five days and will be fitted with a brace. His recovery will require physical therapy.

Menino canceled a planned post-election vacation to Bermuda because of the fall. Last week the mayor won an unprecedented fifth term in office.

In October 2008, Menino had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee to repair cartilage torn when he slipped during a Red Sox championship rally the previous fall. The mayor hyperextended his right knee hoisting the World Series trophy at Fenway Park before the team's victory parade.

In 2004, Menino underwent treatment for Crohn's disease, a chronic condition that causes painful intestinal blockages. In 2003, doctors at Brigham and Women's removed a small lump from his back that turned out to be a rare form of skin cancer. City officials say he has since been cancer-free.

Donovan Slack can be reached at dslack@globe.com.