CHICAGO — Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) underwent surgery at an Illinois hospital after suffering a stroke over the weekend, his surgeon told reporters Monday.
Dr. Richard Fessler, the neurosurgeon at Northwestern Memorial Hospital who performed the surgery in Chicago told reporters at a press conference that the stroke had occurred in the right side of Kirk’s brain and that part of his skull had been removed to allow for increased swelling.
“It will affect his ability to move his left arm, possibly left leg, and possibly involve some facial paralysis,” he said, noting that this was preferable to a stroke occurring on the left side of his brain, which controls most cognitive functions.
Fessler said Kirk was currently doing “quite well,” adding that it was “way too soon” to predict when he may be able to return to the Senate. “It’s not going to be days,” he said, predicting a timeline of weeks, possibly months.
Fessler said Kirk’s prospects for a full mental recovery were pretty good, but that the prospects of a full physical recovery were not great.
The senator’s family said they were “very encouraged by the prognosis” and that they were “confident the fighter in him would prevail.”
Earlier in the morning, Kirk’s office released a statement saying that Kirk checked himself into an Illinois hospital on Saturday before being transferred to Northwestern Memorial following an ischemic stroke.
“Due to his young age, good health and the nature of the stroke, doctors are very confident in the senator’s recovery over the weeks ahead,” it continued.
According to the Internet Stroke Center, an ischemic stroke occurs when an artery to the brain is blocked.
Kirk, Illinois’ junior senator, was elected to the Senate in 2010 after serving 10 years in the US House of Representatives.
Before arriving in Congress, Kirk reached the rank of Commander in the US Navy and is considered an important voice on foreign policy matters within his party. He currently serves on four Senate committees: Appropriations, Banking, Health, Education, Labor & Pensions and Aging.
He currently lives in Highland Park, Ill, a Chicago suburb.