Three: Sen. Tim Johnson undergoes emergency surgery for brain hemorrhage

| Sunday, December 31, 2006

The sudden health crisis of South Dakota Sen. Tim Johnson dominated state news in the closing days of 2006.

Johnson underwent surgery for a brain hemorrhage Dec. 13 after exhibiting stroke-like symptoms during a telephone conference call with reporters earlier in the day. During a five-hour operation, surgeons stopped the bleeding and stabilized the problem — a mass of blood vessels called an arteriovenous malformation.

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The illness prompted speculation about what would happen to the new 51-49 Democratic majority Senate if the 60-year-old Johnson’s health led to his resignation. South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds, a Republican, would name a temporary replacement if Johnson resigned.

The state of his health and chances for a complete recovery remain unclear as the year ends. Members of Johnson’s family and staff said the senator was improving, and doctors reported that they had controlled the post-surgical swelling in his brain. The senator is expected to remain under sedation through the holidays.

Former South Dakota Sen. Karl Mundt suffered a debilitating stroke in November of 1969, but he and his family resisted pressure for him to resign. Although incapacitated and eventually stripped of his committee assignments, the Republican senator remained in office until January of 1973, when his term ended.

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