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Rep. Williams recovering after having robotic heart bypass procedure

Republican Congressman Brandon Williams (NY-22) stands in his office.
Ava Pukatch
/
WRVO
Republican Congressman Brandon Williams (NY-22) stands in his office.

Updated at 3:45 p.m. Tuesday - Central New York Rep. Brandon Williams (R-Sennett) is recovering from a minimally invasive robotic heart bypass procedure.

The Congressman is missing his first series of votes since taking office due to the procedure. Williams said the surgery was scheduled after a routine doctor’s appointment found an issue.

"I fully anticipate being back in DC within a few days and look forward to getting back to work on behalf of our district," Williams said. "I appreciate your prayers as I recover quickly and am thankful for the excellent medical care available right here in [central New York.]"

The procedure occurred Wednesday morning at St. Joseph’s Health Cardiovascular Institute in Syracuse.

“Congressman Brandon Williams was transferred to the St. Joseph’s Health Cardiovascular Institute yesterday for a cardiac procedure after an examination at Crouse Health,” Meredith Price, Senior Vice President of Acute Operations at St. Joseph's Health said. This morning, our talented team of surgeons, nurses, and support staff performed a robotic heart bypass procedure, and we are pleased to say that it went exceptionally well. Congressman Williams is now on the road to recovery in large part because of the minimally invasive treatment methods used by the cardiac surgeons at St. Joseph’s which allow for faster healing, less pain and less scarring.”

Williams said he will be back at work next week, with a spokesperson saying more details will be released in the coming days. Williams is in post-op care at St. Joseph’s.

Williams represents New York's 22nd Congressional District which includes all of Onondaga, Madison and Oneida counties as well as a small portion of Oswego County.

Ava Pukatch joined the WRVO news team in September 2022. She previously reported for WCHL in Chapel Hill, NC and earned a degree in Journalism and Media from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. At UNC, Ava was a Stembler Scholar and a reporter and producer for the award-winning UNC Hussman broadcast Carolina Connection. In her free time, Ava enjoys theatre, coffee and cheering on Tar Heel sports. Find her on Twitter @apukatch.