George W. Bush undergoes heart procedure
Updated 3:45 p.m. ET
Without complications, former President George W. Bush had a stent implanted Tuesday morning to fix a blocked artery in his heart, which doctors discovered during a routine physical on Aug. 5.
The procedure was performed at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas where the 67-year-old former president "is in high spirits, eager to return home tomorrow and resume his normal schedule on Thursday," his office said in a statement.
President Obama "wishes him well" though the two haven't spoken since the procedure - nor do they have plans to, White House press secretary Jay Carney said.
The former president underwent an angioplasty, a procedure to open narrow or blocked arteries, per his doctor's recommendation. The stent, a small tube in the artery, will help maintain blood flow.
Bush doesn't have a family history of artery or heart disease, but his 89-year-old father was in the hospital with pneumonia for several months in 2012. Since then, former President George H.W. Bush has been in a wheelchair.
While president, the younger Bush had four benign lesions removed from his face, two of which could've become cancerous if not treated. Both he and his father suffered a vasovagal syncope - a brief loss of consciousness - while president. George W. Bush's faint resulted from choking on a pretzel.
While his former vice president, Dick Cheney, has a long history ofheart issues, Mr. Bush has been known for his fitness over the years. In May, Mr. Bush took part in his annual 100-kilometer mountain bike ride with wounded warriors organized through his presidential institute.
Similarly, as president, Mr. Bush cycled long distances on a mountain bike. During two of those trips, in the U.S. and Scotland, Mr. Bush incurred minor injuries. In each of his physicals as president, doctors reported Mr. Bush was in "excellent" physical fitness.