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Hearn 'serious but stable' after surgery Posted: Friday December 21, 2001 6:21 PMLOS ANGELES (AP) -- Announcer Chick Hearn, who missed his first Los Angeles Lakers game in 36 years because of open heart surgery, continued his recovery Friday. "As of 9 a.m. this morning, Mr. Hearn's condition was serious but stable, and he is continuing to improve," the hospital said in a statement. The 85-year-old Hearn is expected to be discharged within a week and resume his broadcasting work in about six weeks. Hearn had his consecutive streak of announcing Lakers games broken at 3,338 on Thursday night, when the team beat the Rockets 107-101 in Houston. The broadcaster received a new aortic valve during a 2 1/2-hour operation performed Wednesday by Dr. Michael Soltero, and his condition was upgraded to serious but stable Thursday. Hearn, who had not missed a Lakers' game since Nov. 20, 1965, was replaced by on the broadcast in Houston by Paul Sunderland, who was to continue those duties Friday night when the team played at Memphis against the Grizzlies. Hearn has been the Lakers' only play-by-play announcer since the team moved to Los Angeles from Minneapolis at the beginning of the 1960-61 season. He had planned to undergo the operation after Christmas, but his wife said it became clear Wednesday morning the surgery had to be scheduled sooner. Soltero said about 80 percent of the blood flow through Hearn's aortic valve was blocked, putting extra stress on his heart and leaving him fatigued. The valve was replaced with one made of cow tissue, which Soltero said has a very good record of success.
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