Pat Robertson Recovering After 10 Hours of Heart Surgery

Pat Robertson's atrial fibrillation is the most common form of cardiac arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythm). Its name comes from the fibrillating of the heart muscles of the atria, instead of a normal contraction.

Pat Robertson was treated via surgery known as convergent procedure. This involves cauterizing the heart muscle with heat generated by a radio frequency. The procedure is less invasive than traditional heart surgery.

During the surgery, doctors also discovered an abnormally enlarged left "appendage" on Pat Robertson's heart. They removed it, and believe the appendage was the cause of his atrial fibrillation.

Official news of Pat Robertson's heart surgery was not announced until today, via courtesy of CBN's David Brody's blog.

"The Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) announced today that its founder and Chairman, Pat Robertson, has returned home after extensive heart surgery at FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital in Pinehurst, NC. Mr. Robertson has suffered a condition known as atrial fibrillation, an often-debilitating heart disorder involving shortness of breath and weakness affecting an estimated five million Americans... Robertson said, 'Only the prayers of thousands of believing people kept me on this earth. As it is, I anticipate many more years of creative service in the ministry I founded (CBN), as well as Regent University and other endeavors devoted to the service of mankind. I cannot praise enough the dedication and professionalism of Dr. Andy Kiser and his staff who removed this growth from my continuously beating heart.”