Mandela treated for gall stones

SA anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela has undergone a successful procedure to remove gall stones. Source: AAP

SOUTH African anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela has undergone a successful procedure to remove gall stones a week after being admitted to hospital for a lung infection.

"The medical team decided to attend to a lung infection before determining when to attend to the gall stones", a statement from the office of the president said on Saturday.

The 94-year-old is being treated at a private hospital in the capital Pretoria. Initial tests revealed he was suffering from a recurring lung infection.

The former president underwent a procedure via endoscopy to have the gall stones removed, the statement said.

"The procedure was successful and Madiba is recovering," it added, using the clan name by which Mandela is affectionately known.

Mandela was previously hospitalised for an acute respiratory infection in January 2011, when he was kept for two nights before being released for home-based care and intense medical monitoring.

Mandela has a long history of lung problems, dating back decades to when he contracted tuberculosis while in prison.

The Nobel Peace Prize winner who led the country to democracy in 1994 was flown from his rural home village of Qunu to Pretoria on December 8.

It was not clear when Mandela was moved to the private hospital from the One Military facility, the country's top military healthcare centre, where government officials initially said Mandela was being treated.

The Mediclinic Heart Hospital, where he is currently being cared for, bills itself as the first and "only hospital of its kind - a private, specialised heart hospital - in South Africa."

A doctor who spoke to AFP said gall stones were not a serious ailment and can happen to anybody.

"They occur when fluid collects in your gall and crystalises. The stones can cause discomfort," said Mark Sonderup, vice chairman of the South African Medical Association.

The presidency appealed for privacy for Mandela and his family. Local and international media have been camped outside his home and the hospital.

News of Mandela's hospitalisation always causes panic among South Africans, as the elderly statesman is hardly seen in public.

Television images earlier this year showed the tall, grey-haired icon seated on a couch at his rural home, surrounded by grandchildren.

Mandela stepped down from office in 1999 after serving one term, in 2004 he announced his retirement from public life, but continued to make a few public appearances.

Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang

Mandela treated for gall stones

Dengan url

http://cucidollaran.blogspot.com/2012/12/mandela-treated-for-gall-stones.html

Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya

Mandela treated for gall stones

namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link

Mandela treated for gall stones

sebagai sumbernya