BILL CLINTON BACK TO HOSPITAL IN NEW OPERATION
Tue Mar 08 2005 11:11:18 ET

Statement from the Office of President Bill Clinton

Former President Bill Clinton will be undergoing a medical procedure this week to remove fluid and scar tissue from his left chest cavity. The procedure, which is a recognized, occasional consequence of open-heart surgery, will take place Thursday at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center and he will remain in the hospital for three to ten days.

The procedure is known as a decortication, and will require general anesthesia. The scar tissue developed as a result of fluid and inflammation causing compression and collapse of the lower lobe of the left lung. The surgery will be done either through a small incision or with a video-assisted thoracoscope inserted between ribs. The fluid buildup and lung collapse has caused the President some discomfort in recent weeks, but he has otherwise been in very good condition, recently passed a stress test and is walking up to four miles a day near his home in Chappaqua, NY.

The risk of the procedure is low, and once fully recovered, President Clinton is expected to resume his work without limitations.

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