President treated for kidney stones, given pacemaker during New Year’s

New Year’s is usually marked as a festive occasion with people partying the night away with music, dancing and plenty of drinking. This annual ritual is a way for us to say goodbye to the old year and welcome the new.

But this New Year’s was different for UA President Peter Likins, who spent the last three nights of 2005 quietly recuperating after surgery at the University Medical Center.

Likins admitted himself to University Medical Center Dec. 29 for a routine treatment of a suspected kidney stone and underwent a procedure to remove the kidney stone Dec. 30, according to a press release.

A physical assessment prior to the Dec. 30 surgery revealed the need for Likins to have a pacemaker, which was successfully implanted on Dec. 31, the release said.

Likins said that from a doctor’s perspective, the two surgeries he underwent were routine, even though it was his first hospitalization since birth.

“I think of the hospital as somewhere other people go, not somewhere I go,” Likins said.

Even after two surgeries in two consecutive days, Likins returned to the office before the start of classes, although he is aware of the need to take it easy.

Likins said he is deliberately trying to re-enter his position carefully, and that there is no reason for concern, because he should be fine.

Likins said there is no cause for concern over the implantation of a pacemaker in his heart.

“Most of the time it’s just watching,” Likins said, explaining that a pacemaker will monitor his heart to make sure it does not go below a certain threshold.

In an e-mail to the UA community, Likins thanked students and employees for the 200 letters of encouragement he received. He also joked in the letter that students can now be assured that the UA president “has a heart.”

Likins’ coworkers said they are glad to see Likins back in the office.

“We missed him and we’re so glad he’s back,” said Edith Auslander, vice president and senior associate to the president.