Holbrooke critical after surgery for torn aorta

WASHINGTON – Veteran diplomat Richard Holbrooke, who is a special envoy on the Afghanistan war, was in critical condition after undergoing more than 20 hours of surgery to fix a tear in the large artery that moves blood from the heart.

President Barack Obama gave a hint of the seriousness of the situation, saying in a statement that he and first lady Michelle Obama were praying for Holbrooke’s recovery. He called Holbrooke, ‘a towering figure in American foreign policy’ who has been a critical player in developing the administration’s policy on Afghanistan.The 69-year-old veteran diplomat was meeting with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton about midmorning Friday at the State Department when he suddenly collapsed. He was seen walking to the department’s parking garage with the help of a person from State’s medical office and taken to George Washington University Hospital a few blocks away.Doctors worked more than 20 hours through the day on Friday and overnight to repair the tear in Holbrooke’s aorta. The surgery was completed on Saturday morning, said State Department spokesman PJ Crowley.By Saturday evening, Holbrooke was described as being in stable, but critical condition.His family was said to be with him. Clinton and Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, have been at the hospital as well, according to the White House. Clinton visited on Friday night and again on Saturday.A torn aorta is a condition in which a rip develops in the inner wall of the aorta allowing blood to enter the vessel wall and weaken it. If not corrected the condition can lead to rapid death. – Nampa-AP