BERNIE BLOW
Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential bid in jeopardy as 79-year-old Democrat undergoes emergency heart surgery as he takes on Donald Trump
BERNIE Sanders' presidential campaign was thrown into doubt today after he was rushed to hospital with chest pains requiring an emergency heart operation.
Sanders, 78, was in Las Vegas, Nevada, as part of the 2020 campaign when he was admitted and found to have a blocked artery which needed an urgent procedure.
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A statement from his Bernie Sanders' campaign team said two stents were "successfully inserted" and that Sanders "is conversing and in good spirits".
The veteran left-winger tweeted from his hospital bed this evening as he recovered from his operation.
He said: "Thanks for all the well wishes. I'm feeling good.
"I'm fortunate to have good health care and great doctors and nurses helping me to recover.
"None of us know when a medical emergency might affect us. And no one should fear going bankrupt if it occurs. Medicare for All!"
The US senator from Vermont has been among the top contenders in the crowded field seeking the 2020 nomination to challenge Republican President Donald Trump.
The incident could renew questions about Sanders' age.
The Democratic race features a generational divide between older candidates such as Sanders and front-runner Joe Biden, 76, and some younger contenders such as Pete Buttigieg, 37, the mayor of South Bend, Indiana.
President Donald Trump is 73.
In a letter made public during the 2016 campaign, Sanders' doctor said he was in "overall good health" and he had no history of cardiovascular disease.
The insertion of stents to open blocked heart arteries is a relatively common procedure.
It involves inserting a balloon-tipped catheter to open blockage and deploy tiny wire-mesh tubes to prop open the artery.
CAMPAIGN ENGAGEMENTS CANCELLED
In general, recovery takes a few days.
But how quickly Sanders will bounce back depends on his symptoms before getting the stent, said Dr.
Steven Nissen, a cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic.
Dr Nissen said: "People recover quickly, and assuming no complications, there is no reason why he could not get back on the campaign trail in a timely fashion.
Sanders had been among 10 Democratic candidates scheduled to appear later today at a forum on gun control in Las Vegas.
He recently canceled some appearances in South Carolina because he lost his voice.
The campaign said at the time he felt fine.
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Sanders’ heart episode comes as his campaign has been trying to turn a corner after a summer that saw him eclipsed as the premier liberal in the field by Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, 70.
Sanders has dropped well behind Warren and Biden in most polls and recently reshuffled his staffing in early states to become more competitive.
But he is not the first candidate to face health issues in recent years while seeking the presidency.
Clinton had to take time off from campaigning in 2016 after being treated for pneumonia.
Bernie Sanders announces he is running for president again in 2020
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