Jun 30, 2007
Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) -- Mayor Michael Bloomberg declared himself in "great health" on Friday and said his heart surgery years ago, which was not disclosed until this week, was so minor that he was out on the golf course in no time.

In his first public comments about the surgery in 2000, which installed two coronary arterial stents in his heart to relieve blockage in his heart, the 65-year-old mayor brushed it off as a routine operation.

"It's a very common thing, and I'm in great health and there are lots of people my age that have it," Bloomberg told reporters. "My recollection is I went out and played golf the next day -- it was that serious."

The health-conscious billionaire mayor, who banned smoking and trans fats in New York City and donates millions to medical causes, talks frequently about health and medicine, including his own desire to stay slim and fit.

But he had never mentioned publicly the operation he underwent the year before he first ran for office. A spokesman said the procedure was not done because of a major event like a heart attack, but because Bloomberg had been experiencing fatigue and mild discomfort.

The news surfaced this week as part of the heightened scrutiny Bloomberg is facing due to speculation that he is considering a run for the U.S. presidency as an independent. He repeatedly has said he has no plans to join the race.

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