Pennsylvania Senate candidate John Fetterman to undergo surgery to implant pacemaker
Fetterman has been hospitalized since he suffered a stroke on Friday
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Pennsylvania Democratic Lieutenant Governor and U.S. Senate candidate John Fetterman will undergo a procedure to have a pacemaker implanted after he suffered from a stroke last Friday.
FETTERMAN CONTINUES TO RECOVER FROM STROKE, TWEETS PHOTO OF FAMILY VISITING HIM IN THE HOSPITAL
"John Fetterman is about to undergo a standard procedure to implant a pacemaker with a defibrillator," Fetterman's campaign said Tuesday. "It should be a short procedure that will help protect his heart and address the underlying cause of his stroke, atrial fibrillation (A-fib), by regulating his heart rate and rhythm."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman speaks during a news conference on Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
Fetterman, the frontrunner in the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, had said in a statement issued by his campaign on Sunday that he's on the way to a full recovery.
"I’m feeling much better, and the doctors tell me I didn’t suffer any cognitive damage," Fetterman said. "I’m well on my way to a full recovery. So I have a lot to be thankful for. They’re keeping me here for now for observation, but I should be out of here sometime soon. The doctors have assured me that I’ll be able to get back on the trail, but first I need to take a minute, get some rest, and recover. There’s so much at stake in this race, and I’m going to be ready for the hard fight ahead."
Fetterman said he went to the hospital after his wife, who noticed certain symptoms, "insisted" that he do so.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I didn’t want to go – I didn’t think I had to – but Gisele insisted, and as usual, she was right," he said. "I hadn't been feeling well, but was so focused on the campaign that I ignored the signs and just kept going. On Friday it finally caught up with me. I had a stroke that was caused by a clot from my heart being in an A-fib rhythm for too long. Fortunately, Gisele spotted the symptoms and got me to the hospital within minutes."
In this Jan. 24, 2019, file photo, Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman speaks at a news conference in the governor's Capitol reception room in Harrisburg, Pa. (AP Photo/Marc Levy, File)
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The announcement from Fetterman's campaign comes on the same day Pennsylvania voters cast their votes in primary elections across the state. Those polls will close later today.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fetterman, who has remained in the hospital since suffering the stroke, voted in the primary election on Tuesday using an emergency absentee ballot.
Fox News' Adam Sabes contributed to this article.