Sharon to have heart operation
Middle East Desk Report

JERUSALEM—Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will undergo a catheterization procedure within three weeks to repair a small hole in his heart that apparently led to a minor stroke, his doctors said Monday. Dr. Haim Lotem, head of cardiology at Jerusalem’s Hadassah Hospital, said the hole, which is less than an eighth of an inch wide, is a minor birth defect found in 15 to 25 percent of the population.
He said doctors plan to use a catheter to insert an “umbrella-like” device to seal the hole in the wall between the upper chambers of Sharon’s heart. The procedure, guided by a small camera inserted through the esophagus, is routine, doctors said. They said Sharon will be given a mild anesthetic to relax muscles and will be partially sedated during the treatment. Patients undergoing such catheterization retain consciousness. The hole was detected in testing following Sharon’s Dec. 18 stroke. Doctors concluded the blood clot that caused the stroke passed through the hole and lodged in a cranial blood vessel, briefly restricting the flow of blood to the prime minister’s brain.