Gov. Paterson was diagnosed Tuesday with acute glaucoma in his left eye and was to undergo a "routine procedure" to relieve the pressure, his office says.
Paterson, who turned 54 Tuesday, checked into Mount Sinai Medical Center earlier in the morning after complaining of "migraine like" symptoms. Initial tests found that everything was normal.
"The governor is now undergoing an iridotomy, a routine, outpatient laser procedure to relieve pressure on the eye," the statement said. "The operation will not have any long-term impact on the governor’s overall health. The governor will remain conscious throughout the procedure, but in an abundance of caution, the Senate Majority Leader [Joseph Bruno] and the Assembly Speaker [Sheldon Silver] were advised of this pursuant to standard protocol."
It wasn’t expected that Bruno would be asked to assume gubernatorial powers. Right now, Paterson is still running the state. If he loses consciousness, Bruno (R-Brunswick) would be acting governor.
Paterson has been legally blind since childhood. Dr. John Danias, associate professor of ophthalmology at Mount Sinai, is treating him.
Paterson's office also announced he was canceling his 3 p.m. speech to Columbia University's graduating class. Attorney General Andrew Cuomo will step in for the governor.
After a children's event in the capital Tuesday....
James T. Madore
... Bruno said he had not been called upon to assume gubernatorial duties. He said he was informed of Paterson's illness shortly after 6 a.m.
"The best thing to do is if something that isn't normal … the smart thing is to have it checked out," Bruno said. "And I'm sure he will be just fine."
Since Democrat Paterson moved into the executive mansion, Bruno, the state's top Republican, has only once served as governor and that was when Paterson traveled to Washington for a day.
Bruno added, "He's in great physical condition, he's great emotionally, mentally and he demonstrates that every day. His great physical condition will hold him in good stead."
Last year, Paterson became ill while traveling on an airplane with then-Gov. Eliot Spitzer. Paterson fainted en route from New York City to Buffalo in July and was taken to Erie Medical Center in Buffalo.
A doctor on the USAir flight assisted the then-lieutenant governor whose symptoms were first noticed by Spitzer. Paterson was able to walk off the plane and was soon released from the Buffalo hospital.
Paterson also experienced chest pains in April 2006 during the campaign with Spitzer. Paterson spent the night at St. Peter's Hospital near Albany. The hospital's chief of cardiology, Dr. Michael Martinelli, said at the time that all of the tests that had been run on Paterson were normal and that he appeared to be in "excellent health."
Paterson has no history of heart trouble, according to his staff. He plays basketball with his son and friends and has run the New York City Marathon despite being visually impaired.
Paterson became governor on March 17 after the resignation of Spitzer amid a sex scandal.