Rep. Mike Festa OK after emergency surgery
Published on December 12th, 2001
MELROSE, MA - Representative Michael Festa (D-Melrose) has a great excuse for missing the State House veto override session last Wednesday — he was in Mass General recovering from emergency surgery.
He didn’t have a heart attack, but he came frighteningly close. Festa represents half of Stoneham, until redistricting takes effect in the next election. He is a lawyer and father living in Melrose.
According to Festa’s legislative aide Amo Cefalo, Festa was raising his hand to speak at the Democratic caucus budget meeting last Tuesday, Dec. 4, when he began to sweat and experience shortness of breath. The Speaker called on someone else, Festa sat down, but he looked ill. Rep. Cory Atkins (D-Concord) noticed Festa’s condition and led him out of the meeting to see the State House doctor. Festa’s blood pressure was skyrocketing, so the doctor decided to call an ambulance.
At Mass General doctors discovered that all four of Festa’s major arteries had severe, 90 percent blockages.
“He was on the verge of a severe heart attack,” Cefalo said. “But he didn’t have a heart attack. His heart was not damaged.”
The Mass General team first considered a quadruple bypass, but ruled out the procedure because of Festa’s age, 47. The angioplasty lessened the blockage in one artery to an acceptable 50 percent. Little metal springs have been placed in two other arteries to keep them open. And a third artery remains 80 percent blocked. Doctors are investigating how to treat this fourth blockage.
Festa is thin and healthy looking, and anyone who knows him would say “active” is an understatement, but he has a family history of high cholesterol.
“He’ll have to watch his diet,” Cefalo said.
Festa remained in Mass General until last weekend. He came to the State House Tuesday, but had to return home.
Festa wants to be on the floor to debate and vote on the supplemental budget when it comes out of Ways and Means this Thursday, Dec. 13.
“He wants to jump back in,” said Cefalo. “He’s got to be careful, but this won’t slow him down.”
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