13 mins ago
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – Former Argentine President Nestor Kirchner underwent successful surgery Sunday after showing symptoms of carotid artery disease, the presidential office said.
"The news is good; the operation is over," Foreign Minister Jorge Taiana said as he entered the Los Arcos hospital in Buenos Aires' Palermo district.
The surgery took about an hour, but no more details were immediately released.
Kirchner's wife, current President Cristina Fernandez, was in the hospital with him, according to local media.
The former leader "presented this morning symptoms caused by disease in his right carotid artery that require surgical treatment," said Dr. Marcelo Ballesteros, deputy director of the Presidential Medical Unit.
Kirchner, 59, now a deputy in the national legislature's lower house, was president in 2003-2007 and has all but declared his candidacy to try to succeed his wife in 2011.
Carotid artery disease usually refers to the narrowing of the main arteries that carry blood from the heart to the brain. These arteries can thicken with fatty substances and deposits of cholesterol known as plaque, slowing the flow of oxygenated blood to the brain and increasing the risk of a stroke.
"Everything's OK ... we now know that he's come out OK and we've come to accompany the family," Labor Minister Carlos Tomada said.
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