Former Pres. Clinton Recovering From Heart Surgery
Sept. 6, 2004 -- Former President Bill Clinton is recovering at New York-Presbyterian Hospital after undergoing a quadruple heart bypass this morning.
Members of his surgical team said in a press conference afterwards that Clinton's surgery went well.
He is "recovering normally" from the four-hour operation, said lead surgeon Craig Smith, MD. "I think, right now, everything looks straightforward." At the time of the press conference, Clinton was still on a ventilator to help him breathe -- which is standard in the hours following surgery. The doctors hoped to remove him from the ventilator as the sedatives used during surgery wore off.
The doctors said Clinton had experienced some chest pain and shortness of breath during physical activity over the last several months. But on Thursday he had similar complaints with no such activity. After an angiogram, doctors determined there was extensive blockage, as much as 90%, in several of the arteries.
Allan Schwarz, MD, the chief of the hospital's cardiology division, says although these blockages didn't cause any damage to Clinton's heart muscle, there was "a substantial likelihood of a substantial heart attack" in the near future.
The surgery was delayed until today because doctors needed to wait for a blood thinner to work its way out of Clinton's system to minimize any excess bleeding risks during surgery.
Clinton is expected to be out of the hospital in four to five days. Schwarz says a full recovery is expected within two to three months, based on similar patient experiences. He adds that Clinton should be able to resume entirely normal physical exercise and work schedule at that point.
Clinton's doctors say he will be on aspirin therapy going forward. Additional drugs and dietary programs are under discussion, but Clinton will most definitely be on a low-salt, low-fat diet, says Schwarz.
Clinton had been on a statin to lower his cholesterol but he was taken off of the medication after he lost weight. In addition, prior to this recent event Clinton had also been on a medication to help him lower his blood pressure, the doctors said.