Heart Op for Barbara Bush

Hours after undergoing open heart surgery, Barbara Bush is said to be resting comfortably in a Houston hospital. The former first lady and Bush family matriarch, 83, went under the knife at The Methodist Hospital to have her aortic valve replaced after experiencing shortness of breath last week, her spokesman said. “I expect her to recover fully and soon resume her normal activities,” her heart surgeon said after replacing the valve a biologic valve. Her husband, George H.W., is at her side in the intensive care unit; she’s expected to be in the hospital for another seven to 10 days. Bush also underwent surgery in November for a perforated ulcer.