After three days, two angioplasties and six stents to deal with what was described as a serious heart attack, former Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak left Abbott Northwestern Hospital on Tuesday to recuperate.
Former aide Andy Holmaas released a statement Tuesday that Rybak will recuperate for "the next couple of weeks." He will then begin working at his new job as executive director of Generation Next, a fledging organization focused on closing the achievement gap in the Minneapolis and St. Paul schools.
Rybak was admitted to the hospital Saturday after experiencing shortness of breath and chest pains while cross-country skiing at Theodore Wirth Park.
Megan O'Hara, Rybak's wife, said in a voice message Monday that Rybak will bypass his typical skate-ski long race in the City of Lakes Loppet ski festival this year. But she added that he hopes to participate in the weekend's more sedate Luminary Loppet ski tour on Feb. 1, the night before the marquee 42-kilometer race.
Rybak helped to found the ski festival as part of a silent sports series and serves on the Loppet Foundation's board.
"The family is hoping others will learn from this experience making sure that everyone in their family is aware of their medical health history," Holmaas said in an e-mailed statement. Rybak's father had a series of heart problems.
An angioplasty involves inserting a thin tube with a balloon through the blood stream and then inflating the balloon to reopen an artery closed or constricted by a buildup of plaque, restoring blood flow to the heart. A stent is a small tube that is inserted to buttress the inner wall of an artery.
Steve Brandt • 612-673-4438
