Janelle Irwin Taylor
St. Petersburg City Council Chair Ed Montanari suffered a heart attack Saturday, according to his office.
Montanari began experiencing chest pains Saturday afternoon while at home. He was taken to St. Anthony’s Hospital where doctors diagnosed a myocardial infarction.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, who spoke with Montanari, he was transported to the hospital by a friend, but the chest pains subsided. He was still in the hospital when pains resumed and doctors discovered a nearly blocked artery.
Montanari received a stent and was released from the hospital Monday.
“It was a miracle that I was there at the hospital when it happened, and a miracle that they put a stent in,” Montanari told the Times Tuesday.
He plans to take a couple of days off to recover, but feels well and plans to return to his official duties Thursday.
This isn’t Montanari’s first brush with heart issues. He underwent open heart surgery in 2016 to repair a mitral valve.
A full cardiac workup was conducted last month, which didn’t reveal any issues, according to the Times.
Montanari, a commercial pilot by trade, is otherwise healthy.
In a statement from his office, Montanari thanked hospital staff at St. Anthony’s for “saving my life” and said he would be “forever grateful” for their care.
