Dayton plans to leave hospital this week, just in time for Thanksgiving

Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton plans to go back to his residence this week before Thanksgiving, he said in an interview with MPR News.

Dayton, 71, underwent two back surgeries in October at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, where he has been hospitalized for more than a month.

Dayton said the procedures were successful and his condition has got much better thanks to the physical therapy at Mayo.

"I would say I have about an eight now [out of] 10 being the best," Dayton said.

His two surgeries were to fuse vertebrae and strengthen the fusion in his lower back to improve the stability of his back and legs. He had similar operations in 2012 and 2015.

Although the operations went well, Dayton had to stay at Mayo longer than expected due to some post-surgical complications, including damage to his lungs.

"It was not collapsed, but damaged," Dayton said of his lung condition. "It limits the capacity to absorb oxygen from the environment and then to transfer that into where the body uses."

Dayton is leaving Mayo on Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on his doctor's decision. He wants to celebrate his last holiday as governor at the residence.

The governor, who is ending his second and final term early next year, said he anticipates Gov.-elect Tim Walz will successfully lead Minnesota's top office with more support from the newly elected state Legislature.

"It was a tremendous victory to flip the house back to DFL and that makes such a difference to Governor[-elect] Walz," said Dayton. "His team does have a cooperative House and the Senate is closely divided. I think people want more cooperation in that process. I think that will be possible now."

Dayton has said he'll retire from politics after leaving office in January.