NEW YORK – Former US president Bill Clinton arrived home early yesterday following a successful heart procedure at a New York hospital to open a blocked artery in his heart that had caused him chest discomfort.
Television footage shows Mr Clinton walking to his vehicle as he left the hospital and later arriving home in the New York suburb of Chappaqua.
Mr Clinton (63) had quadruple heart bypass surgery in 2004 to free up four blocked arteries, and the latest incident comes after he has travelled twice to Haiti to help recovery efforts after a devastating earthquake there.
Two stents were placed in one of his coronary arteries after tests showed that one of the arteries operated on in 2004 needed to be reopened, Dr Allan Schwartz, head of cardiology at Columbia, told reporters.
He said there was no indication Mr Clinton had a heart attack or of any damage to his heart.
Dr Schwartz said Mr Clinton could resume his “very active lifestyle” and return to work as soon as Monday. He gave the former president an “excellent” prognosis.
Mr Clinton’s wife, secretary of state Hillary Clinton, arrived at the hospital on Thursday evening, joining their daughter Chelsea.
A senior administration official told Reuters that Ms Clinton’s departure for Qatar and Saudi Arabia, planned for yesterday, was put off until today but that the delay would not affect her meetings in the two countries.
Having stents placed in heart arteries is a relatively quick and routine procedure among patients who have suffered heart disease.
Stents are tiny mesh tubes used to prop open heart arteries that have been cleared of blockages via angioplasty. They are now often coated with drugs to help prevent reclogging.
Mr Clinton, like many Americans, has struggled with his weight.While in office he was known for his love of burgers and junk food but was also seen jogging regularly. – (Reuters)