Riley Expected to Bounce Back From Surgery

Thomas F. Riley, the senior member of the Orange County Board of Supervisors, underwent open-heart surgery Monday, but medical experts said a full recovery is likely.

The operation, a quadruple bypass, lasted about three hours, and Riley, 78, was resting in intensive care at Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach on Monday afternoon. A hospital spokeswoman said the operation was successful and added that the supervisor’s condition was listed as stable.

“So far, so good,” said Linda O’Neill, program manager for cardiac services at the hospital.

Riley should be moved out of intensive care by Thursday or Friday and could be home by early next week, doctors and aides said.

“His swearing-in for the new term is Jan. 14, and he plans to be at it,” said Christie McDaniel, one of Riley’s executive assistants. “He really is not looking for this to disrupt his plans.”

Although declining to comment on the specifics of Riley’s case, hospital officials said the bypass procedure is relatively common. Hoag performs about 350 a year, O’Neill said, and nearly 200,000 were performed nationwide.

Aidan Raney, a member of Hoag’s cardiac surgical staff, performed the operation on Riley. Raney was unavailable for comment later.

According to McDaniel, doctors gave Riley the choice of surgery or medication to treat obstructions in the arteries surrounding his heart. If left untreated, those obstructions can cause heart attacks or angina, a sharp pain in the chest that can be inapacitating.

Riley chose the surgery, McDaniel said, because it offered the greatest chance for him to pursue a vigorous work schedule upon recovery.

O’Neill added that patients recovering from an elective bypass operation--the full name of the procedure is a coronary artery bypass graft--typically are up and walking three days after the surgery. Most patients who undergo such a procedure are discharged in five or six days, she said.

It can take some time before a patient returns to full speed, however. In most cases, O’Neill said, it is two to three months until a patient resumes a full workload, although that can depend on the job and a number of other factors, including the patient’s age and overall health.

Riley is the board’s oldest member and the one with the longest tenure. He suffers from a variety of ailments--including asthma and diabetes--but nevertheless has one of the board’s most consistent attendance records, a mark that he takes great pride in.

“It’s going to be very, very difficult for him to miss any board meetings,” said Supervisor Don R. Roth, one of Riley’s close friends.

“He’ll want to be back right away,” Roth added. “You’ve got to hand it to him. He’s tough.”

Roth said he spoke to Riley Saturday about the operation, adding that the supervisor was upbeat.

“He was really on a high, and he was very confident,” Roth said. “I told him I would pray for him, and I have.”

In recent weeks, aides said Riley has complained of fatigue, and in a recent interview the supervisor said he had been battling a mild case of the flu. After a contentious public hearing in mid-December, Riley acknowledged to some of his colleagues that he was not feeling well.

Still, some board members were surprised to learn Monday that Riley had undergone surgery.

“I just heard about a half hour ago,” Supervisor Roger R. Stanton said Monday afternoon. “Obviously, I was very concerned, but we will all look forward to seeing him back in the 5th District as soon as possible.”

Riley’s district covers most of South Orange County, including Tustin, Irvine, Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, Laguna Niguel, Dana Point, San Juan Capistrano and San Clemente. It is among the fastest growing areas in Orange County, and Riley refers to it proudly as the “Fabulous Fifth.”

Riley won reelection to his post in June, and said then that he planned to retire after completing one last four-year term.

In addition to his post on the board, Riley, a retired Marine Corps general with a long list of military and civilian honors, sits on dozens of governmental and community boards. He is a member and past chairman of the Orange County Transportation Commission and is active with the Boy Scouts of America, among other groups. And last fall the new Thomas F. Riley Terminal was dedicated in the supervisor’s honor at John Wayne Airport.

Riley and his wife, Emma Jane, live in Newport Beach.