Bernie Sanders Cancels Events After Being Hospitalized for Heart Procedure

Vermont senator and 2020 Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders was hospitalized and underwent surgery for an artery blockage, his campaign said on Wednesday.

Sanders’s advisor Jeff Weaver said in a statement that the senator was “conversing and in good spirits” following surgery, adding that his events and appearances would be canceled “until further notice” so that Sanders could rest.

The 78-year-old senator was en route to a gun forum in Las Vegas when he began experiencing “chest discomfort,” as Weaver described it, and is currently recuperating in a Las Vegas hospital. According to the statement issued by Weaver, Sanders was found to have a blockage in one artery, and two stents were successfully inserted.

The average recovery time for a surgical procedure of this kind is approximately a week, according to the Mayo Clinic, so it’s possible Sanders may be able to resume a full campaign schedule before long. When it comes to his physical health, Sanders is known to be a fighter; when he injured his head in March, requiring seven stitches, he continued with all of his scheduled events after being discharged from a walk-in clinic in South Carolina.

Sanders has been diagnosed with gout, diverticulitis, and several other health concerns over the course of his life, but a letter from his doctor that Sanders made public during his first presidential run referred to the senator as being in “very good health” overall.

Several of Sanders’ fellow Democratic candidates have expressed their goodwill toward the senator’s recovery, including Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, Joe Biden, and Andrew Yang.

Originally Appeared on Vogue