HM King Juan Carlos of Spain will undergo heart surgery on Saturday, 24 August. The announcement was made today by the royal palace. It is reported that doctors noticed the need for the operation during a routine check up in June: the exact cause for this surgery has not been released, understandably.
King Juan Carlos has had a plethora of operations over the decades to deal with various ailments. In 1954, the then-Infante Juan Carlos underwent an appendectomy after being diagnosed with appendicitis. In 1981, the king required surgery after injuries he sustained while colliding with a glass door. In 1985, Juan Carlos had surgery on his right knee. In 2001, the king underwent a procedure to correct varicose veins on his right left. In 2010, Juan Carlos was in hospital for an operation to remove a benign tumour on his right lung. In 2011, the king had surgery on the Achilles tendon of his left foot as well as having a right knee replacement. In 2012, Juan Carlos had a right hip replacement after suffering a dislocation in that hip; he then underwent a left hip replacement as well. In 2013, the king had back surgery after experiencing a herniated disc; he also had a further operation on his left hip. Last year, King Juan Carlos had an additional surgery on his right knee.
Due to these health problems, it is no wonder that King Juan Carlos made the decision to withdraw from public duties earlier this year. For quite some years, the Juan Carlos has required a cane to walk - with extra assistance being necessary at times. The heart surgery of the eighty-one year-old king emeritus will take place at a private hospital in a suburb of Madrid.
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