'Star Wars' actor Mayhew has surgery on knees

[September 12, 2013]  FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- Actor Peter Mayhew, who portrayed Chewbacca in the "Star Wars" films, has had double knee-replacement surgery at a Texas hospital.

Mayhew was recovering Wednesday at Plaza Medical Center in Fort Worth. Angie Mayhew says her 69-year-old husband had the surgery Monday and hopes to walk again. She says her spouse has been using a wheelchair for two years.

Angie Mayhew says her husband also had a tendon-stretching procedure to stabilize his legs. Peter Mayhew was born with a condition known as gigantism, which causes excessive growth. He's 7 feet, 3 inches tall.

The British-born actor's medical issues will be the subject of an upcoming documentary, "Standing in the Stars -- The Peter Mayhew Story."

The Mayhews live in Boyd, about 20 miles northwest of Fort Worth.

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http://www.petermayhew.com/main1.html

[Associated Press]

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