AP Features, September 17th, 2007
New Jersey Gov. Jon S. Corzine underwent surgery Monday to remove excess bone growth in the leg he broke in a near-fatal car crash last spring.
Corzine transferred gubernatorial power to Senate President Richard J. Codey at 10:22 a.m., five minutes before he went under sedation and entered surgery at Cooper University Hospital, Corzine spokeswoman Lilo Stainton said.
The surgery ended about two and a half hours later, she said. Corzine was in stable condition.
The governor is expected to spend several days in the hospital, with Codey, a fellow Democrat, likely serving as acting governor into Tuesday, Stainton said.
Corzine received a low dose of radiation before surgery to prevent future bone growth, Stainton said. During the operation, surgeons planned to cut excess bone growth away from Corzine's left femur with a bone chisel.
Corzine, 60, was a front-seat passenger and not wearing a seat belt when his state trooper-driven sport utility vehicle slammed into a guardrail at high speed after it was clipped by a pickup truck on the Garden State Parkway. A state police report determined that improper use of emergency lights by Corzine's driver triggered the events that led to the crash.
The crash broke Corzine's left leg in two places, and he now has an excess growth common in patients with severe femur injuries. The condition, known as heterotopic ossification, occurs when the growth extends into muscle, causing discomfort, diminished motion and muscle weakness.
Corzine has been walking on his own for several weeks, but with a limp.
Codey already has plenty of experience as acting governor. He filled in for Corzine for more than three weeks after the crash and is frequently transferred power when Corzine is out of the state. Codey, a Democrat like Corzine, also served as acting governor from November 2004 to January 2006 after former Gov. James E. McGreevey resigned.
