Pakistani prime minister has heart surgery in London

LONDON, May 31 (UPI) -- Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had open heart surgery in a London hospital Tuesday, his daughter said.

Daughter Maryam Nawaz said the surgery was a success, and added that the grafting of arteries was completed and that her father was heading for the hospital's intensive care unit.

Hospital officials confirmed that the surgery, Sharif's second cardiac operation in five years, was {link:completed without complications. : "http://www.dawn.com/news/1261835/pms-open-heart-surgery-successful-maryam-nawaz" target="_blank"} Sharif left Karachi for London earlier this week for a medical evaluation. After evaluating him, doctors recommended surgery.

Sharif's daughter had said earlier that his medical issues involved a "perforation of the heart," a complication from his 2011 atrial fibrillation ablation.

What remains unknown is the location of the procedure. The Pakistani government has applied a layer of secrecy to the trip to Britain. It is known that Sharif, 66, was not admitted to the Royal Brompton Hospital in London's Chelsea district, where he previously received treatment.

Sharif received numerous wishes for success from world leaders and Pakistani officials prior to the operation. Doctors advised him to take a week-long rest after the surgery, Pakistan's Geo TV reported.