Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews will be moved from intensive care into a ward on Saturday but has revealed he is expecting a “very long journey” to recover from a fractured vertebra and several broken ribs.
Mr Andrews does not require surgery on his injured spine for now, after sources close to the Premier said on Thursday there was a 50 per cent chance surgery would be needed over the weekend.
Premier Daniel Andrews has a serious back injury after slipping down stairs on Tuesday.Credit:Joe Armao
He has been in the intensive care unit of The Alfred hospital since Tuesday evening following a fall on “wet and slippery stairs” in the early hours of that morning.
In a post on Facebook on Saturday, the Premier said “the good news is no surgery for now, but the doctors tell me recovery and rehab is still going to be a very long journey”.
Orthopaedic surgeons this week said the standard recovery period for Mr Andrews’ injury – a fractured T7 vertebra in the middle of the back – was between six and 12 weeks.
Associate Professor Steve McGloughlin, the intensive care unit director at The Alfred, said in a statement that Mr Andrews was “in good spirits and remained in a stable condition”.
“Mr Andrews is comfortable and doing well. There is no plan for surgery at this stage,” he said.
