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PM Sharon speaks during the weekly cabinet meeting at his Jerusalem office, Sunday Jan.1, 2006. (AP)
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| By Associated Press January 1, 2006 |
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Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will undergo a previously announced heart procedure on Thursday to close a small hole that apparently led to his recent stroke, Sharon's office announced Sunday.
Doctors said last week that the procedure, known as a cardiac catheterization, would virtually eliminate the risk of Sharon suffering a similar stroke.
The hole was discovered after Sharon's Dec. 18 stroke. Located in the partition between the upper chambers of Sharon's heart, the hole measures about 2 millimeters (0.8 inches) and is a common birth defect found in 15 to 20 percent of the population, doctors said.
The stroke abruptly put the health of Sharon, who is 77 and overweight, on the political agenda as he seeks a third term in March 28 elections. Despite the health concerns, opinion polls continue to forecast a strong victory by Sharon, who is the country's most popular politician.
At a news conference last Monday, doctors said Sharon would undergo the catheterization within three weeks. In the meantime, he has been treated with blood-thinning medication.
The procedure will take place at Hadassah Hospital Ein Karem in Jerusalem, the same hospital that treated Sharon for the stroke, hospital officials said.
Doctors said Sharon briefly lost the ability to speak during the stroke but suffered no lasting damage. Last week, he resumed his full work schedule.
The PM's office would not say whether power would be transfered to Sharon's second-in-command, Vice Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, only that this decision would be announced later.
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