Surgery

Randy Johnson was happy to pitch without pain. Still, he was disappointed with the results of his first outing since back surgery. The Big Unit gave up three runs and four hits, including a three-run home run by Chris Iannetta, in 1 1/3 innings Monday during Arizona's 10-9 victory over the National League champion Colorado Rockies in Tucson. Johnson walked one and struck out one. "Minus the results today, there was a lot of positive things," he said. "But as competitive as I am, I'm still disappointed I would pitch like that."

College football: A Newswire item in Wednesday's Sports section said UCLA defensive tackle Jess Ward had been slow to recover from knee surgery and might miss spring practice. All along, Ward wasn't expected to return to the team until the fall.

Anthony Minghella, the Academy Award-winning director of "The English Patient" whose other acclaimed films include "The Talented Mr. Ripley" and "Cold Mountain," died Tuesday in London. He was 54. Minghella died in a London hospital from complications of surgery for tonsil cancer a week earlier, Leslee Dart, his spokeswoman, told The Times. He had not been ill before the surgery, she said. The London-based writer-director's death came as a shock to friends and colleagues, who remembered him as a gentle, caring and intelligent man and an inspiring leader on a film set. "The grace, joy and tenderness he brought to his films were symbolic of his life and the many people he touched," Harvey Weinstein, an executive producer of "The English Patient" and "Cold Mountain," said in a statement.

Heart surgery patients who received transfusions of blood stored for more than two weeks were 64% more likely to die in the hospital than those who received fresher blood, a finding that adds to the growing concern about the safety of transfusion practices. Several small studies have already suggested a danger in using blood that is nearing its expiration date, but a report published today is by far the largest, with more than 6,000 patients enrolled. In response to the growing concern, some hospitals have modified their procedures for cardiac surgery -- one of the largest consumers of donor blood -- to minimize the need for transfusions.

Roger Ebert will resume writing reviews later this month but will not rejoin his syndicated TV show because he's still unable to speak. In a letter published in the Chicago Sun-Times this week, the Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic and co-host of TV's "Ebert & Roeper" said surgery in January ended in complications, and his ability to speak was not restored. He said the return of speech would require another surgery. "But I still have all my other abilities, including the love of viewing movies and writing about them," Ebert said.

San Francisco Giants shortstop Omar Vizquel could begin testing his surgically repaired left knee in minor league games early next week. The 11-time Gold Glove winner went on the 15-day disabled list after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery on Feb. 27. But outfielder Dave Roberts is scheduled to undergo surgery today to repair torn cartilage behind his left kneecap. Team orthopedist Ken Akizuki will perform the operation. The Giants made the announcement after Thursday night's 5-1 victory over St. Louis.

Medical marijuana: An article in Monday's Section A about medical marijuana users being deemed ineligible for organ transplant surgery misspelled the first name of patient Jonathan Simchen as Jonathon.

Tiger Woods, who has been out for more than five weeks after arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, did not put his name on the list to play next week's $6-million Memorial, and apparently won't return to competition until the U.S. Open, June 12-15. Woods hasn't played since finishing second at the Masters. The Memphis tournament follows the Memorial and is the week before the Open. Woods' normal routine is not to play the tournament the week before a major.

Massachusetts Sen. Edward M. Kennedy developed no complications a day after his risky surgery to treat a malignant brain tumor, his office said in a statement. Kennedy spent the day walking hospital hallways, visiting with his family and "keeping up with the news of the day," his office said. The 76-year-old Democrat is expected to stay at the hospital in Durham for about a week. His doctors have described the surgery as a success.

People who undergo total knee replacements often adopt a forward-bending way of going from sitting to standing, a new study has found. This motion can increase the strain on the non-injured leg and possibly set patients up for future injuries. To prevent this from happening, physical therapy after surgery -- aimed at retraining this action -- could be helpful, say the study's authors, from the University of Delaware.