Israeli President Reuven Rivlin’s wife was sedated and on a respirator but “stable” on Monday following a lung transplant, Rivlin’s office said in a statement.
Nechama Rivlin has long been suffering from pulmonary fibrosis, it said, adding that Monday’s surgery took several hours and took place “after a long period” on the transplant waiting list.
“She is in a stable condition, and is surrounded by close family,” it said.
A presidential spokesman was unable to give her age, but she is reportedly in her early 70s.
The statement quoted the surgeon, Dan Aravot, as saying that the operation, on a single lung, has a success rate of around 80-90 percent.
Reuven Rivlin, 79, was elected to his post by the Israeli parliament, or Knesset, and sworn in for a seven-year term in July 2014.
In Israel, the presidency is largely ceremonial and executive power rests with the prime minister.
AFP
