Clinton Recovering From Quadruple Bypass
Former President Bill Clinton underwent a successful four-hour quadruple heart bypass operation Monday morning and was breathing on his own after being taken off a respirator that evening, his doctors said Tuesday.
Speaking on NBC's "Today" show Tuesday morning, Dr. Craig R. Smith, chief of cardiothoracic surgery at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia who headed the surgical team, said the 58-year-old former president was sitting up in bed and was able to talk with doctors, HealthDay reported.
The operation began Monday morning at 8 a.m. and was what doctors termed "relatively routine."
Dr. Allan Schwartz, the hospital's chief of cardiology, told the news conference that an angiography had revealed extensive blockage in each of the blood vessels feeding Clinton's heart. The heart itself, however, was "strong with absolutely no damage," Schwartz added.
Clinton's recovery will start in an intensive care unit and progress to walking before he is released from the hospital within four to five days, Schwartz said.
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