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This 31 May,1999,
file photo shows then US President Bill Clinton. Clinton was admitted
to a New York City hospital 03 September,
2004, where he will undergo heart bypass surgery.
(AFP) |
Former US President Bill Clinton has successfully
undergone
a five-hour quadruple heart bypass operation to relieve clogged
arteries, say doctors.
Dr Craig Smith, who led the operation at New York Presbyterian
Hospital, said Mr Clinton was recovering normally.
Mr Clinton, 58, was admitted to hospital three days ago suffering chest
pains and shortness of breath.
More than 26,000 people from all over the world have sent messages
wishing him a speedy recovery.
Dr Smith, the hospital's chief of cardiothoracic surgery, told a news
conference four hours after the operation: "He is recovering normally at
this point. I think right now everything looks straightforward."
Another member of the medical team, cardiology chief Dr Allan Schwartz,
said Mr Clinton was awake but still sedated and had not yet spoken.
The former president's wife Hillary and daughter Chelsea were by his
bedside as he recovered from surgery.
Bypass operations, in which sections of the
patient's own blood vessels are grafted
to bridge over blockages in the heart's arteries, have become
a common and usually successful procedure in recent years.
Mr Clinton's operation began at 0700 local time on Monday
and lasted nearly five hours.
Mr Clinton served two terms as president, during which he became known
for his love of fast food and jogging.
Correspondents say he may now have to scale down his role in the
Democrat campaign for November's elections.
During his own presidency, Mr Clinton showed no signs of heart problems
during rigorous health examinations that were made public.
In recent months, Mr Clinton has appeared trim and well - which he
attributed to following the "South Beach Diet" of lean meat and
unprocessed food.
The former president and his family issued a statement on the Clinton
Foundation's website on Sunday, saying they felt "blessed and grateful for
the thousands of prayers and messages of goodwill we have received these
past few days".
President George W Bush and Democratic presidential contender John
Kerry, both busy on the campaign trail ahead of November's elections, sent
their best wishes to Mr Clinton before the operation.
The BBC's Jeremy Cooke in New York says the former president had
promised to be a loyal "foot soldier" in Mr Kerry's drive to win the White
House, but his involvement may now be limited.
However, our correspondent says Mr Clinton had a 90-minute telephone
conversation with Mr Kerry on Sunday to discuss campaign strategy.
Known as a formidable campaigner, Mr Clinton gave a speech to the
Democratic Party convention in Boston in July that was seen as one of the
highlights.
Observers say his natural flair among crowds could
have been used to boost the campaign of Mr Kerry, who is regarded as
somewhat aloof
.
(Agencies) | 
Updated: 2004-09-07 11:02