(see related) Ex-premier Silvio
Berlusconi said Friday that he was not anxious ahead of heart
surgery next week.
"I would like to thank all those who sent expressions of
affection and good wishes, you have truly moved me," he said in
a statement released by Milan's San Raffaele's hospital.
"I will never forget the words of friends, politicians,
life-long collaborators and many supporters who made me feel
they are close to me with extraordinary warmth.
"I'm serene and I face this delicate moment by putting my
trust in God and the extraordinary professionalism of the
doctors and staff of the San Raffaele".
The billionaire and three-time premier is to undergo
surgery next week to have a new aortic valve after tests at
Milan's San Raffaele Hospital found he was suffering from
"severe aortic insufficiency" that had placed his life at risk.
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