Japanese Emperor Akihito has undergone a medical procedure to remove excessive fluid that had accumulated in his chest following last month's bypass heart surgery, the Imperial Household Agency said Wednesday.
The procedure was successfully carried out at the Imperial Household Hospital on Wednesday. agency said considerable amount of fluid was removed from the Emperor's chest during the procedure.
The 78-year-old emperor had arrived at the Imperial Household Hospital along with Empress Michiko on Wednesday morning for undergoing the suction procedure to remove the buildup of fluid, which was discovered a day earlier.
Doctors say the procedure is not unusual after bypass surgery. The latest development comes just days after Emperor Akihito was discharged from the University of Tokyo hospital on Sunday following a bypass heart surgery fifteen days earlier.
Emperor Akihito was earlier expected to attend a government-hosted memorial service on Sunday in Tokyo to commemorate victims of the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami in eastern Japan. It is not clear whether he will now attend the function.
The emperor has not been in prime health in recent years, prompting him to cut back on his limited official duties in 2009. He had undergone a surgery for prostate cancer in 2003 and suffered stress-related health issues in late 2008.
Emperor Akihito ascended the throne after the death of his father, Emperor Hirohito, in 1989. Although the role of the emperor is largely ceremonial in Japan, he is highly respected across the country.
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