Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) underwent an outpatient heart procedure on Tuesday after a recent physical revealed he had an abnormal heart rhythm, known as an “atrial flutter.”
Durbin in a statement said the procedure was “low-risk.”
“I anticipate that this heart tune-up will give my classic roadster many more miles of reliable service,” the senator said.
{mosads}And he used the experience to jab at Republicans who are working to pass a repeal-and-replace bill for ObamaCare.
“My Congressional colleagues who want to cut funding for medical research and take away health insurance for millions of Americans should remember that all of us are only one diagnosis away from needing the best care for ourselves and the people we love,” he said.
Durbin underwent the procedure at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. He plans to stay in Illinois for the remainder of the week.
Durbin did not notice any symptoms to indicate the flutter, according to his office, but he decided to undergo a procedure known as a “catheter ablation” after reviewing his options.
The American Heart Association says this procedure is low-risk. In the procedure, a catheter emits painless radio frequency pulses in order to destroy “abnormal heart tissue” and correct an “irregular heartbeat.”