Doctors in Texas implanted a stent in the heart of former President George W. Bush this morning, opening up an artery where blood flow was restricted by a blockage, said Bush spokesman Freddy Ford.
The procedure was performed by surgeons at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, and the former president is recovering without complications, Ford said.
“During President George W. Bush’s annual physical examination at the Cooper Clinic in Dallas yesterday, a blockage was discovered in an artery in his heart,” Ford said. “At the recommendation of his doctors, President Bush agreed to have a stent placed to open the blockage.”
Although Bush did not have a heart attack, there can be reasons why a patient might choose to have a stent inserted through arteries in his arm or leg to open up a blockage in the heart, said Dr. John Keaney, chief of cardiovascular medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and associated editor of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Bush is known as a vigorous and active athlete, biking and running on a strenuous schedule.
While studies have shown that artery blockages can be equally effective at reducing the risk of future heart attacks, for very active athletes the side effects of heart drugs, particularly beta blockers, can be debilitating, lsaid Keaney, who is not involved in Bush’s medical care.
“He may not want to take a lot of medications because he does not want the side effects they bring, which could leave him too weak to continue his activities,” Keaney said.
This only applies to people who are not suffering an active heart attack. Doctors of all stripes, Keaney said, urge patients suffering a heart attack due to a blocked artery to have a stent implanted on an emergency basis. UMass Memorial Hospital in Worcester has established a national reputation for the speed with which its doctors are able to diagnose heart attacks and relieve them with stents, speed measured in minutes rather than hours.
Bush’s spokesman said the former president was looking forward to getting back to life as usual.
“President Bush is in high spirits, eager to return home tomorrow and resume his normal schedule on Thursday,” Ford said. “He is grateful to the skilled medical professionals who have cared for him. He thanks his family, friends, and fellow citizens for their prayers and well wishes.”
The insertion of the stent in Bush’s heart has reignited a debate within the medical community over the frequency of use of stents. But Bush used the opportunity to urge others to do as he did, and see their doctors regularly.
“He encourages us all to get our regular check-ups,” Ford said.
