British Prime Minister Tony Blair was recovering Friday from surgery to correct an irregular heartbeat, a day after revealing that he intends to serve a full third term if re-elected.
With his wife Cherie at his side, Blair checked into Hammersmith Hospital in west London for a relatively routine operation to restore his heart rhythm, requiring only local anaesthetic and a couple of hours on the operating table.
Several hours later, he was back at Downing Street, his official residence, smiling and looking relaxed. He was to rest for the weekend before embarking on an official visit to Ethiopia next week.
"I'm absolutely fine, thanks," he said. "The hospital staff, the nurses, the doctors were brilliant."
In a statement, Hammersmith Hospital said Blair was treated for "an irregular heartbeat due to atrial flutter (using) a planned procedure called radio frequency catheter ablation".
"The procedure was successful in eliminating the atrial flutter. We consider the risk of recurrence of the problem to be very low," it said, adding that Blair should make a "rapid and complete recovery".
Blair - who was treated for the same problem a year ago - himself announced the operation on Thursday, explaining: "It's not particularly alarming, but it's something that you should get fixed."
One of Britain's leading cardiologists, Andrew Grace, said the delicate procedure which Blair underwent - which involves two thin wires being inserted into the right atrium via a vein in the leg - has a high success rate.
"It is very safe, effective and well tolerated procedure to cure these sorts of issues," he told BBC radio.