Standard surgery set for Clinton

Former President Bill Clinton's heart bypass, expected today, likely will be an ordinary replumbing of his ailing heart, not some new whiz-bang robotic or "keyhole" surgery, leading surgeons say.

A source close to the former president who spoke on condition of anonymity said Clinton has told him the surgery was scheduled for this morning. Clinton has been hospitalized since Friday after suffering chest pains and shortness of breath.

Medical reasons could explain the surgery delay. Some suggested it might have been put off to allow his body to clear dye, injected for diagnosis purposes, and Plavix, a blood-thinner Clinton was reportedly given that could cause excessive bleeding during and after the bypass.

"I think it's convenience of scheduling and possibly waiting to let the Plavix clear from his system," said Dr. Timothy Gardner, a cardiac surgeon at the University of Pennsylvania and an American Heart Association spokesman.

But just as his operation is likely to be the same as the average American's, the delay in his surgery also suggests a problem typical for many patients: doctors and nurses off for the holiday weekend.

"I am surprised they are waiting that long," said Dr. Mamdouh Bakhos, chairman of cardiovascular surgery at Loyola University Health System, who along with other surgeons speculated about staffing shortages. Bakhos spoke in response to initial reports that the surgery could be as late as Tuesday.

The former president and his family issued a statement on the Clinton Foundation's Web site on Sunday, saying they felt "blessed and grateful for the thousands of prayers and messages of good will we have received these past few days."

"While bypass surgery certainly isn't something to look forward to, we are very lucky that the condition was detected in time to have this procedure before something more serious occurred," the statement said.

Clinton spokesman Jim Kennedy said more than 26,000 get well messages have been posted on the Web site. He declined to be more specific about when Clinton would have the surgery, saying, "I don't think there's going to be an announcement about it ahead of time."

Officials at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia, where the former president is hospitalized, have refused to comment.