Kennedy recovering from surgery

Senator Ted Kennedy is recovering from surgery to clear a potential stroke-causing arterial blockage in his neck. (ht: Jiblog)

The 75-year-old senior senator had a blockage of at least 70 percent in his left carotid artery, one of two major blood supplies to the brain, his MGH doctors told reporters yesterday.

Doctors discovered the blocked artery during a routine examination of Kennedy’s back, which he injured in a 1964 plane crash. MRI showed an unrelated, asymptomatic blockage in the artery.

Mary Jo Kopechne could not be reached for comment.