New York: Former American President Bill Clinton today (Sep 6, 2004) underwent a successful open-heart surgery for several blocked arteries at a Manhattan hospital in New York.

The operation was "very successful", the doctors attending on the former President said.

The former President "is resting comfortably," according to a joint statement by New York-Presbyterian hospital and Clinton's office.

A surgical team led by Dr Craig R Smith, Chief of cardio-thoratic surgery performed the operation at the New York Presbyterian Hospital.

Clinton, 58, was moved to operation room at around 9.36 hrs (IST). for the quadruple bypass surgery.

The former US President was hospitalised on Friday (Sep 3, 2004) after experiencing chest pain and shortness of breath.

His wife Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and daughter Chelsea were with him.

The doctors had said they expect full recovery after the surgery.

According to reports Clinton has been flooded with thousands of messages of good wishes, including from President George W Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and Democratic Presidential candidate John Kerry.

The former Democrat President and his family in a statement on the Clinton Foundation Website said they felt "blessed and grateful for the thousands of prayers and messages of good will we have received these past few days".

Despite his condition, Clinton, who is considered a good campaigner, met Kerry on Saturday (Sep 4, 2004) to discuss campaign strategy ahead of the November two polls and advised him to sharpen his attack against his rival President George W Bush.

Clinton probably will spend the night in the intensive care unit and be moved to the general care floor in a day or two, according to media reports.