Saturday Morning News

Full Recovery Likely for Letterman

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KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Doctors say David Letterman has a very good chance of making a full recovery after undergoing emergency heart surgery. The late night talk show host had quintuple bypass surgery yesterday.

CNN's Jim Hill has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM HILL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The host of "The Late Show With David Letterman" is said to be resting comfortable after undergoing multiple heart bypass surgery. Letterman's operation was done Friday at New York's Presbyterian Hospital only hours after a test called an angiogram revealed artery blockages.

DR. WAYNE ISOM, LETTERMAN'S HEART SURGEON: If the blockages are more severe than you anticipate, then you usually will go ahead and do the operation fairly quickly.

HILL: Heart bypass surgery is performed when the heart's arteries are clogged with cholesterol, fat or other material. The surgeon removes a healthy vein from another part of the patient's body. It is then grafted onto the blocked artery to bypass or go around the problem area. Letterman needed quintuple bypass, meaning five separate grafts were made.

DR. P.K. SHAH, CEDARS SINAI MEDICAL CENTER: The more arteries of the heart that have blockages, the more serious is the risk for a heart attack or a life threatening complication.

HILL: Ironically, Letterman mentioned his upcoming medical exam as he taped his Friday night show on Thursday with guest Regis Philbin (ph).

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN")

DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST: Yeah, no I've got to go have one of these angiogram things.

REGIS PHILBIN, ENTERTAINER: No kidding?

LETTERMAN: That's right.

PHILBIN: Well, that's the best thing that you could do. (END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: CBS Network released a statement saying, "We are thrilled that Dave's surgery went well. He is a valued member of the CBS family and we love him." Jay Leno of NBC's "Tonight Show" said, "I and everyone at the "Tonight Show" wish Dave a speedy recovery."

CNN's Larry King had the same surgery with the same doctor in 1987.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "LARRY KING LIVE")

LARRY KING, HOST: If you stay rigid with your exercise program, with your diet, with your non-smoking, you have a great life. It's amazing surgery.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: Letterman's overall health is said to be good and he's expected to make a full and speedy recovery. In the meantime, CBS will air reruns of Letterman's show.

Jim Hill, CNN, Los Angeles.

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