Bernie Sanders suffered a heart attack, doctors reveal

Democratic 2020 hopeful says he is ready to ‘get back to work’ after operation at Las Vegas hospital

Bernie Sanders suffered a heart attack earlier this week, doctors have revealed, as the 78-year-old Democratic hopeful left hospital in Las Vegas.

In a revelation that will raise further questions about the viability of his campaign to be president, Mr Sanders’ campaign released a statement from doctors that said the senator was stable when he arrived Tuesday at Desert Springs Hospital Medical Centre.

The doctors, Arturo Marchand, Jr and Arjun Gururaj, said Mr Sanders quickly had two stents placed in a blocked artery in his heart and the rest of his arteries were normal.

The medics said the rest of his stay before being discharged Friday was “uneventful with good expected progress”.

The campaign also released a statement from Sanders where he thanked the doctors, nurses and hospital staff.

“After two and a half days in the hospital, I feel great, and after taking a short time off, I look forward to getting back to work,” he said.

He was expected to return to Vermont.

Mr Sanders was hospitalised on Tuesday after experiencing chest discomfort during a campaign event.

Additional reporting by AP