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Czech ex-President Havel in serious condition
2009-01-14
PRAGUE, Czech Republic - Former Czech President Vaclav Havel was in serious but stable condition Wednesday, two days after undergoing minor surgery on his throat, a Prague hospital said. Medical specialists were meeting to decide on further treatment for the 72-year-old communist-era dissident, Motol hospital spokeswoman Eva Jurinova said, without giving any further details. Havel was hospitalized Monday with an unspecified "inflammatory illness," his aide Sabina Tancevova said. One of his doctors, Boris Stastny, said surgeons successfully operated on a small abscess that had been making it difficult for Havel to swallow, according to the Pravo daily. But Havel's recovery has been complicated by the fact that part of his right lung was not functioning properly, causing problems with breathing, Stastny said. Havel has a history of respiratory problems dating back to his years in communist jails, and has been hospitalized repeatedly in recent years. He has suffered from chronic bronchitis since a third of his right lung was removed in December 1996 following the discovery of a cancerous tumor. A year ago, Havel was treated for an irregular heartbeat the IKEM hospital in Prague. Havel was a dissident playwright when he led the 1989 revolution that peacefully toppled communism. He became president of Czechoslovakia in December 1989 and served as Czech president from January 1993 after the country split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia. His last term in office ended in February 2003. Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek wished Havel quick recovery during an address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France. The Czech Republic currently holds the rotating EU presidency.
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