CYPRUS: President Anastasiades in New York ready for heart op

President Nicos Anastasiades arrived in New York on Sunday to prepare for a corrective operation on his heart’s mitral valve at the Mount Sinai hospital.

He was greeted at the airport by the Cyprus Permanent Representative at the United Nations Nicos Emiliou.
A government announcement said that Anastasiades, accompanied by First Lady Andrie and his personal physicians Savvas Kadis and Marinos Soteriou, will check into the clinic at 8am (EST) on Monday (1500 Cyprus time) and will undergo tests, probably from Tuesday, two days ahead of schedule.
The president told journalists that the doctors are confident that the problem can be resolved.
He said he felt like any one else would prior to such an adventure, adding jokingly that this was not the only one as the Turkish seismic survey vessel Barbaros in Cyprus waters was the biggest problem.
He added that his two daughters will join them in New York on Tuesday.
Anastasiades said last week prior to his departure that although he would never undermine the capabilities of the medical professional in Cyprus, the extensive experience that the specific surgeons have at Mount Sinai was the reason why his personal physicians recommended that he undergo the corrective operation in New York.
The President has already declared that he would not burden the already strained state purse with his medical expenses and that he would pay for all the cost himself.
Prior to the taking office in March 2013, Anastasiades head a family law firm the control of which he has already passed on to his two daughters.