Nawaz to undergo heart surgery on Tuesday

Doctors say after tests they cannot delay operation anymore; PM will have to stay in London for two weeks

LONDON: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will have an open heart surgery on Tuesday and it will take around two weeks before he leaves for Pakistan, Hasan Nawaz Sharif has told The News.

Speaking to this correspondent, the eldest son of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said that the surgery would be carried out on Tuesday morning. He said that doctors had suggested an open heart surgery after conducting several tests and examinations.

Hasan Nawaz explained to The News that the PM had a cardiac procedure called “Atrial Fibrillation Ablation” in 2011 during which certain complications occurred, resulting in perforation of the heart which was in turn treated by open heart surgery. The PM, for this reason, had been visiting his doctor regularly for routine follow-ups. “Owing to certain symptoms and indications, during this week, the doctors after the routine diagnostics made further investigations. The team of cardiologists and heart surgeons after thorough examinations, tests, various scans and detailed deliberations has decided to go for open heart surgery. He will be on specific preparatory medication for the next three days and will go for the operation on Tuesday morning. The recovery period and stay in the hospital will be one week and he will seek doctors’ approval before being allowed to travel back to Pakistan.”

Hasan Nawaz said when Nawaz Sharif came to London from Pakistan almost a month ago, the doctors had told him that a new complication had developed but the doctors stated that they would not touch it. “We have been told to wait till the PM recovers from that. The PM then left for Pakistan because he had urgent matters to deal with. Three then closed it without doing the angiography. The doctors said that it was a severe matter and should be done through angioplasty. It was a team of cardiologist and cardiac surgeons and physicians who discussed and then decided that he must have an open heart surgery. The PM has been taking blood thinners.”

Hasan Nawaz added that according to normal protocol, the PM had to be in intensive care unit for three to four days. After the open heart surgery, it’s likely that the PM would leave for Pakistan after around two weeks. The News understands that the First Lady Kulsoom Nawaz and sons Hassan and Hussain Nawaz are accompanying the prime minister in London.