HAVEL HAS TRAECHEOTOMY AFTER CONDITIONS WORSENS .
PRAGUE 1996-12-06
Doctors performed an emergency tracheotomy to help Czech President Vaclav Havel breathe after cancer surgery on his lungs earlier this week , a spokesman said on Friday .
He said that the procedure to insert a device into Havel 's throat , done after his breathing worsened on Thursday , had helped , and the president 's condition significantly improved .
" A worsening in the president 's lung functions took place yesterday , " presidential spokesman Ladlislav Spacek said in a statement .
" A tracheotomy was performed and supportive breathing was installed through the help of a breathing device , " he said . "
After these steps , the president 's condition signigicantly improved . "
Havel has been recovering from surgery on Monday which removed a small malignant tumour and half of his right lung .
Doctors after the operation said that they had caught the cancer early , and that Havel could fully recover from the surgery within six weeks .
His spokesman said on Thursday that Havel , 60 and a heavy smoker , had also developed a slight case of pneumonia in the left lung .