| Dr Mahathir In Stable Condition After Five-hour Operation |
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KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 4 (Bernama) -- Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is in stable condition after undergoing a five-hour coronary bypass surgery at the National Heart Institute (IJN) here Tuesday.
His daughter, Datin Paduka Marina, said he is now warded at the Intensive Care Unit for post-operation observation.
"He is fine and out of the operating theatre and is now in the ICU. We are all very happy and everything went according to plan," she told reporters at the IJN lobby.
Meanwhile, Dr Mahathir's special officer, Sufi Yusoff, told Bernama that the surgery was carried out by a team headed by his former cardiac surgeon, Tan Sri Dr Yahya Awang, ended at 2.30pm. It started at 9.30am.
Dr Mahathir, 81, first underwent a coronary bypass operation at the Kuala Lumpur General Hospital on Jan 24, 1989, following a heart attack.
Marina said the family was grateful that the operation went smoothly and added that today's operation was "very much better than the one in 1989.
Her father was better prepared for the second bypass, she said.
"We know the whole country is praying....I'm extremely grateful," she said, thanking those who had sent their wishes via SMS and e-mails.
Meanwhile, IJN said in a statement that Dr Mahathir would be under close observation by a team of doctors and nurses in the next 48 hours, is the crucial period in his post-operative care.
"Overnight, he will be fully sedated," it said.
It said the doctors were happy that the procedure progressed as anticipated and his vital parameters thus far were stable.
It said Dr Mahathir was operated on by a panel of surgeons led by Dr Yahya, comprising Chief of Cardiothoraic Surgery of Mayo Clinic Prof Dr Hartzell Schaff, Datuk Dr Rozali Wathooth, Datuk Dr Azhari Yakub, Datuk Dr Venugopal Balchand and Dr Mohamed Ezani Mohd Taib.
The anaesthetic team led by Datuk Dr Mohd Hassan Mohd Ariff included Dr Sharifah Suraya Syed Tahir, Datuk Dr Syed Abdul Aziz Syed Zain and Dr Nor Azlina Abdul Jalil.
The panel of doctors is headed by IJN's medical director Datuk Seri Dr Robaayah Zambahari and includes consultant nephrologists Datuk Dr Zaki Morad Mohd Zaher, Dr Ghazali Ahmad and consultant gastroenterologist Dr S Ganeshanathan.
IJN will continue to issue updates as and when there is significant change in Dr Mahathir's condition.
Doctors have also advised against Dr Mahathir receiving visitors, apart from immediate family members.
-- BERNAMA
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