Fmr. First Lady Barbara Bush has heart surgery

[deminks]

Source: ABC

NEW YORK (WABC) -- Former First Lady Barbara Bush has undergone open heart surgery.

The elder President Bush's Chief of Staff, Jean Becker, described the surgery as very routine.

Becker said she talked to Barbara Bush, who is in the ICU. Her husband is with her, Becker said.

She described the former first lady as "alert and funny."

Spokesman Jim McGrath said the surgery was taken as precautionary step after doctors found hardening on one part of her aorta last week.

Doctors had been tracking this hardening and determined they didn't want to wait.

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