Diplomat Richard Holbrooke in critical condition (hole in Aorta)

Reuters ^ | 11 DEC 10 | Reporting by Arshad Mohammed, editing by Will Dunham

[DCBryan1]

(Reuters) - Richard Holbrooke, President Barack Obama's special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, was in critical condition after doctors completed surgery to repair a tear in his aorta on Saturday, the State Department said.

The 69-year-old veteran U.S. diplomat was a key figure in forging the 1995 accord that ended the Balkans war.

Holbrooke fell ill at the State Department on Friday. The department issued a statement saying Holbrooke was admitted to nearby George Washington University hospital on Friday.

"This morning, doctors completed surgery to repair a tear in his aorta," the statement said. "He is in critical condition and has been joined by his family."

The aorta is the body's biggest artery. An artery is a vessel that transports blood away from the heart to other parts of the body.

With a meteoric career that included stints in Vietnam as well as serving as the top U.S. diplomat for East Asia, for Europe and at the United Nations, Holbrooke's most notable achievement was bringing all sides in the Bosnia conflict to the negotiating table at an air base in Dayton, Ohio. The resulting 1995 Dayton accords ended the conflict.

Holbrooke, who has worked as an executive in the financial sector when not at the State Department, was said to be a candidate for secretary of state before the job went to Hillary Clinton.

(Reporting by Arshad Mohammed, editing by Will Dunham)

[kalee]

My grandmother survived.

[nonliberal]

He sold out the Serbs to muslim terrorists.

[katana]

My impression of Ambassador Holbrooke in person, first hand, was an extremely arrogant, wholly political, deeply in love with the sound of his own voice upper crust East Coast limousine liberal. Very typical of the breed, but for whatever reason I left that meeting with a strong desire to see his face have an up close and personal introduction to Mr. Louisville Slugger.

Later on, as he was a point man defending Clinton's bombing of Belgrade and Serb civilians, I grew to really despise the man as genuinely evil. At least his perforated heart will probably keep him out of the seat his whole sordid career has been aimed at occupying, Secretary of State, which is exactly where he'd end up if or when his patroness, Hillary Clinton, resigns to "save" the Democratic Party in 2012.

[Liz]

“I Love Lucy’s” Lucille Ball, 77, died of a thoracic aortic dissection despite a heroic and almost successful surgical attempt to save her life.

She did well after the initial placement of the aortic graft, but died several days later.

They had her up and walking the day after surgery...........too soon?

Hypertension (high blood pressure) and some connective tissue diseases are risk factors for aortic dissection.

Lucy was advised to lay off the salt......but she loved margaritas in salt-rimmed glasses....and her husband Gary is said to have indulged her in this whim.

[Darteaus94025]

Hmmm. Is this level of care routinely covered under the new health care law for a person of his age, ethnicity and sexual orientation?

[steve86]

That’s what my dad died from.