Dangerfield recovering from brain surgery

LOS ANGELES (AP) – A month after brain surgery, wisecracking comedian Rodney Dangerfield appeared in fine form Wednesday, assailing hospital food as “garbage” and retorting: “Why should I tell you?” when asked how he was feeling.

Dangerfield, 81, was released from the University of California, Los Angeles, Medical Center on April 21, nearly two weeks after undergoing surgery meant to improve his blood flow for an upcoming heart valve replacement.

The bug-eyed comic, best known for his self-mocking line, “I don’t get no respect,” was true to form, remarking as he entered the room for a news conference: “I gave my wife a kiss on the way in. At my age, that’s about as sexy as I can get.”

He wore a sweat shirt and sandals with white socks. A long scar was visible on the right side of his head.

“I feel like a new man,” he said. “I have all the doctors here to thank.”

His wife, Joan, remarked: “Rodney looks so good, I think from now on he should only play romantic leads.”

Dangerfield, whose films include “Back to School,” “Ladybugs” and “Caddyshack,” said he’s lost 30 pounds during recuperation. “If you want to lose weight, do what I did. I went on the brain surgery diet.”

He also quipped that news of the surgery boosted merchandise sales on his Web site. “Before next Christmas, I’m going to pass the word around that I’m deathly ill,” Dangerfield joked.

The comedian said he’s working on a book and an album. Songs from the album were played at the press conference.

Dangerfield underwent six hours of surgery on April 8 to deal with a blockage in the right carotid artery in his neck that reduced blood flow to the brain.

The surgeon, Dr. Neil Martin, detoured blood flow by threading a tiny artery from Dangerfield’s scalp through a small opening in the bone above his right ear and connecting it to another artery downstream from the blockage.

Martin said it is an uncommon surgery but it went well and Dangerfield “made a surprisingly rapid recovery.”

Asked if Dangerfield cracked jokes in the operating room, Martin replied: “The anesthesia was a little bit of a relief.”

“You want to step outside and say that?” Dangerfield shot back.

In six weeks to two months, Dangerfield will have an operation to replace a faulty aortic heart valve. The brain surgery was designed to reduce the chances of Dangerfield having a stroke during the heart surgery.

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On the Net:

http://www.rodney.com

AP-ES-05-07-03 1750EDT