George W. Bush has surgery to clear blocked artery in heart
DALLAS — Former President George W. Bush’s unexpected surgery Tuesday to clear artery blockage in his heart served as a reminder that even the fittest and most health-conscious must be watchful of cardiovascular disease.
Doctors discovered on Monday the blocked artery during Bush’s annual physical examination. The famously fit 67-year- old then had a stent implanted in his heart Tuesday at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital. Bush spokesman Freddy Ford said Bush is “in high spirits, eager to return home tomorrow and resume his normal schedule on Thursday.”
Experts said the operation wasn’t all that unusual for someone like Bush. But the health scare still came as a surprise, given that Bush is an exercise fanatic who showed no outward symptoms of distress.
Bush – whose devotion to mountain biking and golf is legendary — used his experience this week to push others to check on their health.
That includes a special attention to heart disease, t he leadi ng killer of men and women in the United States.
Cardiology experts said both Bush’s problem and solution were common.
About 600,000 Americans die each year from heart disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 715,000 Americans each year have a heart attack each year, the result of arteries clogged by cholesterol.
Major risk factors include high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes and smoking. But many people, like Bush, show none of the common symptoms, such as tightness in the chest and shortness of breath.
Some artery blockage can be resolved by medication. The most serious cases result in heart-bypass surgery. But an intermediate option — chosen for Bush — is to implant a stent to clear the blockage by inserting a small balloon into the artery. The balloon is then inflated, smashing the blockage. A stent is then inserted to keep the artery open.