Surgery Expected To Curb Kerry's Activities Briefly

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Tuesday, March 30, 2004; Page A04

Sen. John F. Kerry's orthopedic surgeon said yesterday that the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee will have to scrap such campaign staples as picking up babies, shaking hands and tossing footballs for at least two weeks after his shoulder surgery tomorrow.

Bertram Zarins, chief of sports medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, said Kerry would undergo a general anesthetic for about 45 minutes, as Zarins repairs a torn tendon, commonly known as a rotator cuff. Kerry will suspend his campaign travel for three or four days while he recovers in Boston.

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Zarins said Kerry opted to undergo the elective surgery before the tear worsened. The doctor said he will make a "very small incision" and that Kerry will be in a sling for a few days. When asked by reporters whether Kerry would be able to work a "rope line," the doctor replied, "What's a rope line?"

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A34371-2004Mar29.html