PORT-AU-PRINCE: Haitian President Michel Martelly has been diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism and is in stable a condition after returning to theUnited States for treatment, his office said Tuesday.
A pulmonary embolism is an obstruction of a blood vessel in the lungs, usually due to a blood clot blocking a coronary artery. It is a fairly common condition but can prove fatal if not diagnosed quickly and treated.
Martelly, a 51-year-old former singer known as "Sweet Micky" who took office last year, rushed back to theUnited Stateslate Monday, accompanied by wife Sofia, days after surgeons operated on his right shoulder.
Haitian officials initially said only that his rapid return was "due to postoperative complications," but revealed on Tuesday that he had been diagnosed with the potentially life-threatening condition.
Martelly "has undertaken additional examination regarding a pulmonary embolism (sudden obstruction of a blood vessel)," a statement from the palace inPort-au-Princesaid.
"The president's press office has just announced that the examination confirmed the diagnosis. However, the president is in a stable condition, according to the last medical report," the written statement said.
Haiti, the poorest nation in theAmericas, is still recovering from the effects of the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that devastatedPort-Au-Princein 2010, killing more than 200,000 people.
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