WASHINGTON, March 8 (UPI) -- Former President Clinton said he was feeling "great" after reports he needed surgery to remove fluid and scar tissue from his chest near his heart.
At the U.S. State Department where he was taping a message on tsunami relief with his predecessor, former President George H.W. Bush, Clinton was asked how he felt: "I feel great," he said.
Clinton, who had quadruple bypass surgery last September, looked leaner than during his days as president. The scarring and fluid, for which he needs the operation, is the result of that procedure, his office said in statement.
Clinton, 58, will have the procedure Thursday at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center, WABC-TV, New York, reported. His office said he would be hospitalized for three to 10 days after the operation.
Doctors said Clinton's condition sometimes develops after open heart surgery.
