George W. Bush Underwent Heart Surgery, Shocks the Political World

bush heart surgery

Former President George W. Bush underwent a successful heart surgery at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital this morning. According to his office, Bush is in “high spirits” after doctors place a stent in his heart to open up a blockage found during an annual physical examination Monday.

“At the recommendation of his doctors, President Bush agreed to have a stent placed to open the blockage,” Bush Spokesman Freddy Ford said. The produce went “without complication.” The 67 years old is scheduled to go home on Wednesday and resume his normal schedule as the surgery went “without complication.”

The news of former President’s Bush surgery has caught the world by surprise as the Texas native was among the most “physically active of presidents” and frequently exercised. In fact, since leaving officer, Bush has hosted various sports tournaments such as the 100-lkilometer mountain ride and a golf tournament for wounded soldiers.

Over half a million Americans receive stents each year. During the procedure, a balloon tipped catheter is inserted into the heart artery to inflate and clear a path through blockage. A metal stent is the inserted and left inside the artery to hold it open.

Heart complication are not new to former presidents. In 2004, Bill Clinton was diagnosed with heart disease and underwent bypass surgery. In 2011 he had two coronary stents implanted in his heart.