Montana Leaves Hospital; Headaches, Dizziness Gone

San Francisco 49er quarterback Joe Montana was discharged from a hospital Monday, and a spokesman said Montana was no longer suffering from the side effects of a concussion he sustained the day before.

Montana spent the night at the Hospital for Special Surgery-Cornell Medical Center after he was leveled by New York Giant lineman Jim Burt just before the first half ended in the National Football Conference playoff game Sunday.

The Giants won, 49-3, to advance to Sunday’s NFC title game against the Washington Redskins.

A hospital spokesman, Richard Kearns, said Monday that Montana, who underwent “routine tests,” had no headaches or dizziness and had left the hospital “with the team physician. As far as I know, he’s going back to San Francisco.”

Dr. Peter Tsairis, a neurosurgeon who treated Montana, said there appeared to be no complications from surgery that Montana underwent on Sept. 15 to remove a damaged disk from his back.

“He’s not complaining of any back problems, so there was no need to examine him,” Tsairis said after Montana was admitted.

Montana was kept in the hospital overnight for observation.

When he was admitted, Tsairis said Montana felt “groggy and headachy.” Asked if he was initially concerned about the severity of the injury, Tsairis said: “Yes. He was falling off to sleep a lot and had double vision and headaches that just wouldn’t go away.”

Tsairis said a brain scan performed Sunday night was normal.

Montana sustained the back injury in the first game of the season. After surgery, he returned to play in the 10th week.