LAS VEGAS — Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders had a heart attack, his campaign confirmed Friday as the Vermont senator was released from a Nevada hospital.
Sanders’ campaign released a statement from the 78-year-old’s Las Vegas doctors that said the senator was stable when he arrived Tuesday at Desert Springs Hospital Medical Center.
The doctors, Arturo Marchand, Jr. and Arjun Gururaj, said Sanders quickly had two stents placed in a blocked artery in his heart and the rest of his arteries were normal.
Sanders was hospitalized Tuesday after experiencing chest discomfort during a campaign event.
A blocked artery can cause a heart attack, which just means that an area of the heart is suffering and in danger of damage because it’s not getting enough blood or oxygen. An artery-opening procedure like the one Sanders had, and placing stents, which are tiny scaffolds to keep the artery open, restores blood flow and helps prevent future problems.
‘Uneventful With Good Expected Progress’
The statements from Sanders and his doctors do not indicate whether his heart suffered any permanent damage, or the extent of any. The sooner blood flow is restored, the better the chance of survival without damage, which is why heart experts urge anyone thinking they might be having a heart attack to call 911.
The doctors said the rest of his stay before being discharged Friday was “uneventful with good expected progress.”
The campaign also released a statement from Sanders where he thanked the doctors, nurses and hospital staff.
“After two and a half days in the hospital, I feel great, and after taking a short time off, I look forward to getting back to work,” he said.
He was expected to return to Vermont.
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