Holbrooke’s Artery Tear Life-Threatening, Painful
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A tear in the aorta, the largest artery leading from the heart, likely was painful and life-threatening for Richard Holbrooke, the U.S. envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan who underwent two days of surgery to have the blood vessel repaired, doctors said.
Holbrooke, 69, spent about 20 hours in surgery yesterday at George Washington University Hospital in Washington, and seven today, family friends said. The length of the surgery suggests the damage was extensive, said James Willerson, chief medical officer of the Texas Heart Institute in Houston.