Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's life is not in immediate danger, and his condition has returned to serious but stable, Hadassah University Hospital director Prof. Shlomo Mor-Yosef said Saturday afternoon. Earlier, the condition of Sharon worsened after doctors found that his digestive track had been seriously damaged. Thus, it was decided to immediately operate Sharon.
The restricted blood flow raised the possibility of necrosis, or death of tissue, in the intestines. Sharon was taken to the operating theater at about 11 a.m. local time, and surgery started shortly thereafter. The operation ended after about four hours.
"From the standpoint of his present condition, the situation is serious, the situation is stable, the situation is critical, but there is no immediate danger to the life of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon," Mor-Yosef told reporters after the operation. During the procedure, doctors removed a damaged, 50-centimeter length of the premier's large intestine, Mor-Yosef said.
Sharon suffered a massive stroke on January 4 and has been unconscious ever since. It was the seventh surgery for the 78-year-old Sharon since he suffered the stroke. A CT scan of his brain earlier this week indicated that he remained in serious but stable condition.
