TUN DR M JALANI PEMBEDAHAN PINTASAN KORONARI 9.30 PAGI TADI

Dr M undergoes second bypass

Former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad is presently undergoing his second coronary bypass surgery at the National Heart Institute (IJN) in Kuala Lumpur.
The procedure started at 9.30am today.
According to Bernama, which quoted Mahathir’s special officer Sufi Yusoff, the surgery team was led by cardiac surgeon Dr Yahya Awang. The operation is expected to take four to six hours. Sufi was quoted as saying that Mahathir was taken into the operating theatre at 9am. Dr Mahathir, 81, underwent a coronary bypass operation at the Kuala Lumpur General Hospital on Jan 24, 1989 following a heart attack.
Assisted by Mayo clinic expert Bernama also quoted Mahathir’s daughter Marina - based on her entry in her blog RantingsbyMM - that Yahya’s team would be assisted by Dr Hartzell Schaff, chief cardiac surgeon at the Mayo Clinic in the US. "Dr Schaff has operated several times with Tan Sri Yahya at IJN before," Marina was quoted as saying. Marina said that although it was decided during a December 2005 medical check up that Mahathir did not need a surgery, a quick succession of three minor attacks recently changed that outlook. “Hence two weeks ago, he went in for some tests and an angiogram to determine the next course of action after which this decision to redo the bypass was made. "At 82 (Mahathir will turn 82 on Dec 20), he is probably the oldest person to have a redo in Malaysia although Dr Schaff has done plenty in the US," she said.
Marina, writing in her blog, said her father was tough. "God willing, all will be fine," she wrote. "But any prayers sent our way will be very much appreciated."
The 82-year-old last appeared in public waving the Malaysian flag as part of the country's celebrations marking 50 years since independence from Britain last week