Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt underwent heart surgery on Wednesday after suffering chest pains, the surgeon who oversaw the operation said. Renaat Peleman of Ghent university hospital told reporters the minor operation involved widening an artery. He said Verhofstadt would stay in hospital until Friday to recover from the operation, which took less than a hour. Verhofstadt, 51, cut short his Easter holiday in Tuscany after suffering heart pains, flying back to Brussels earlier on Wednesday. It is the second time Verhofstadt was treated in hospital during his term in office. Last September, he was treated for two broken ribs after his chauffeur-driven car ran off the road on the way home.
