McCain Has Successful Surgery
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) underwent surgery Wednesday for a benign enlargement of his prostate and experienced no complications during the operation, a spokeswoman said.
McCain, whose 65th birthday was Wednesday, will spend one to two nights at the Mayo Clinic Hospital and is expected to make a full, rapid recovery, said Nancy Ives, a McCain representative.
Because of the surgery, McCain had canceled a Tuesday speech in Minneapolis, but it was not known if he would miss any other public appearances.
Enlargement of the prostate is common among older men and can lead to urinary difficulties.
During the procedure, enlarged prostate tissue blocking the urethra is cut away.
Doctors also used a laser to fragment stones that had accumulated in McCain’s bladder, Ives said.
McCain was given general anesthesia for the 70-minute operation.
The procedure to break up and remove the stones is routine and helps guard against urinary tract infections, said Darracott Vaughan Jr., chairman of the urology department at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University.
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