John Kerry in 'Good Condition' After Surgery on Broken Leg
— -- Secretary Kerry is said to be in “good condition” following surgery to set a his broken leg at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, according to his spokesman John Kirby.
Kerry suffered a broken femur after he fell of his bike while riding near Geneva inside France on Sunday.
His orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Dennis Burke, released a statement noting that Kerry was awake during the procedure and that he plans to have the secretary walking by tomorrow. Burke is the same doctor who performed Kerry's hip replacement several years ago.
"Secretary Kerry underwent a surgical procedure to repair his broken femur. The procedure was performed under a regional anesthetic and the Secretary was conscious throughout the four-hour operation," Burke said in an emailed statement to the press.
"The procedure was uncomplicated, the fracture was fully repaired, and we plan to get him up walking on Wednesday. I anticipate a short hospitalization, a full and complete recovery, and a return to normal function."
Burke even went on to say that he he doesn't anticipate the recovery will "interfere with his duties as Secretary of State."
Kerry handlers have been careful to suggest that his duties as Secretary of State have been largely unhindered throughout this ordeal. Kirby said earlier today that the secretary was able to join a counter-ISIS meeting in Paris via teleconference before the surgery was performed this morning. State Department spokesperson Marie Harf added the surgery "went well" and lasted "several hours."
State Department officials have insisted all along that he will not be prevented from participating in the ongoing nuclear negotiations with Iran, which are closing in on a deadline at the end of the month.
"The secretary is absolutely committed to moving with the negotiations, to proceeding with them on the exact same timetable as before his accident," Harf said Monday. "[It's] critical to stress that he is committed to doing so in the same time frame."
Kerry had just begun his ride when he hit a curb that caused him to fall, according to Harf. She said it was a route that has at times been used by cyclists competing in the Tour de France.
