Kelowna city Coun. Charlie Hodge will undergo another round of major surgery this week in an effort to rectify the jaw problems he has suffered for the last year.
Hodge, who had to have part of his jawbone removed earlier this year following several surgeries stemming from complications associated with the removal of impacted wisdom teeth, is scheduled be back in the operating room Wednesday at Kelowna General Hospital.
He said doctors will replace the missing piece of jawbone—now replaced with a titanium plate—with about 2 1/2 inches of bone to be taken from one of his femurs. The plate may have to remain in as well, said Hodge Monday.
The surgery is expected to take anywhere from 6 1/2 to 11 hours and will result in at least a week in the intensive care unit to recuperate.
“I will be getting a tracheotomy and my jaw may be wired shut for a while, so it looks like they have figured out a way to shut me up,” joked the popular city councillor, who is also a long-time columnist for the Capital News.
On Monday, Mayor Colin Basran and the rest of his council colleagues wished him well with his surgery.
After the meeting, Hodge said he wants to be back at the council table by beginning of December.
“Needless to say I am scared and make no bones about it,” said Hodge in a post on his Facebook site. “However, I fully intend to win this fight and return better than ever.”
He thanked his friends, family and the public for their prayers, positive energy and kind wishes.
“Despite all of this I still consider myself one of the luckiest and most blessed people in the world and that is largely due to my many dear friends,” he wrote.
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