Nebraska's governor to leave hospital after he was bucked off a horse and broke his ribs

OMAHA, Neb. -- Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen is expected to be released from the hospital Friday — two days after getting nine titanium plates installed during a surgery to stabilize the ribs he broke when he was bucked off a horse last weekend.

Some of the Nebraska Medicine doctors who have been treating Pillen since he was flown to the hospital in Omaha on Sunday from Columbus said he had improved significantly since the rib procedure on Christmas Day. Pillen has been breathing easier and getting around better the past two days, trauma surgeon Dr. Zach Bauman said.

“Prior to surgery he was extremely uncomfortable from the rib fractures. He had a lot of movement of those rib fractures clicking and popping,” Bauman said.

Pillen plans to return to work next week while continuing his recovery at the governor's residence in Lincoln, his office said. But his doctors said they want him to wait until he is fully recovered before considering getting back on a horse.

Pillen, 68, suffered a number of injuries when he fell, but was fortunate not to have any head injuries. On the day he arrived at the hospital, doctors performed a minimally invasive procedure called a prophylactic embolization to stop the bleeding from a spleen injury.

During both the spleen and rib procedures, Nebraska's Lt. Gov. Joe Kelly acted as governor temporarily.

In addition to those injuries, Pillen also had a minor fracture in one of his vertebrae and a kidney laceration, but both of those are expected to heal on their own in the weeks ahead.

Pillen and his family said in a statement that they were grateful for the care he received from the doctors and nurses at Nebraska Medicine and for the well-wishes he received from Nebraskans.

Pillen was elected governor in 2022. Dr. Charity Evans said he should be ready to work with lawmakers when the state Legislature returns next month.