The procedure, to take place at Hadassah Hospital-Ein Karem in Jerusalem, is designed to repair a birth defect that was discovered in the prime minister’s heart while he was being treated at the hospital for his Dec. 18 stroke.
Sharon’s doctors believe that the defect, a small hole in the wall between the upper chambers of his heart, allowed a blood clot to travel to his brain, causing the minor stroke. Doctors will use a catheter to plant a device in the heart to seal the hole, which is less than an inch wide.
Prof. Chaim Lotan, chief cardiologist at Hadassah, will oversee the operation to be performed by the hospital’s top cardiologists. Sharon will not be conscious during the procedure.
The Prime Minister’s Office has yet to announce who will be in charge of the government while Sharon is undergoing the catheterization, a procedure that normally takes only a few hours. The prime minister’s hospital stay is not expected to exceed 24 hours.
While hospitalized for his stroke, Sharon temporarily lost the ability to speak. Sharon’s capacity did not return to normal until just before he was released the following day. Doctors say, however, that Sharon suffered no lasting damage from his stroke.
Sharon’s doctors believe that the defect, a small hole in the wall between the upper chambers of his heart, allowed a blood clot to travel to his brain, causing the minor stroke. Doctors will use a catheter to plant a device in the heart to seal the hole, which is less than an inch wide.
Prof. Chaim Lotan, chief cardiologist at Hadassah, will oversee the operation to be performed by the hospital’s top cardiologists. Sharon will not be conscious during the procedure.
The Prime Minister’s Office has yet to announce who will be in charge of the government while Sharon is undergoing the catheterization, a procedure that normally takes only a few hours. The prime minister’s hospital stay is not expected to exceed 24 hours.
While hospitalized for his stroke, Sharon temporarily lost the ability to speak. Sharon’s capacity did not return to normal until just before he was released the following day. Doctors say, however, that Sharon suffered no lasting damage from his stroke.