Clinton 'in good spirits' after heart scare

President Obama and former president Bush have wished former President Clinton a speedy recovery after he was hsopitalised for a heart scare.

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Former President Bill Clinton's doctors have told reporters that his prognosis is 'excellent' following his hospitalisation for chest pains.

"He has been walking around, in good spirtis, and we hope to have him home tomorrow", the doctor said.

US President Barack Obama telephoned Bill Clinton on Thursday after the former president was taken to hospital for a sudden heart operation, a White House official said.

The official said Obama wished Clinton a speedy recovery and said his work as a US and United Nations envoy working on relief efforts after Haiti's earthquake was too important for him to be laid up for too long.

Former President Bush has also expressed his joy that his 'friend' is recovering.

Clinton was hospitalised and with chest pains, and had two stents placed in one of his arteries at the Columbia Campus of New York Presbyterian Hospital, according to a statement published by the New York Times.

The doctor, although not complacent, stressed that the placing of stents in coronary arteries are high skilled procedures.

"We're dealing with vessels that take blood to the heart", he said, adding that Clinton's cholesterol numbers and other factors the hospital followed have all been excellent

He responded 'appropriately and promptly' to warning signals his doctors had discussed with him in the past, reporters were told.

Hilary Clinton breaks schedule

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was reportedly on her way from Washington to New York to be with her husband. She delayed her travel plans to Qatar and Saudi Arabia by one day because of her husband's condition.

Breaking News On reported that Clinton called his cardiologist complaining he was not feeling well two days ago.

However the former president was untroubled after the procedure, a statement from his spokesman said.

“President Clinton is in good spirits, and will continue to focus on the work of his Foundation and Haiti's relief and long-term recovery efforts," the statement said.

Clinton has had a history of heart trouble but it was uncertain how serious his condition was, the New York Times reported.

The former president has spent the last few weeks working on disaster relief for Haiti after its catastrophic earthquake which killed an estimated 230,000 people, the Times reported.

He had just returned from a trip there, where he serves as the United Nations special envoy.

Stent procedures involve a tube being inserted into the body to prevent constrictions and can be used for a hazardous intervention procedure to unblock arteries known as an angioplasty.

Clinton, who is married to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, underwent quadruple bypass surgery in 2004 to free four blocked arteries.


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By staff, agencies

Source: SBS



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