Maryland House Speaker Has Coronary Bypass Surgery

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) -- Maryland House Speaker Michael Busch has had coronary bypass surgery.

The speaker's office made the announcement Thursday. Busch's office says the speaker underwent bypass surgery at about 7 p.m. Wednesday.

The speaker's office says: "He is awake, alert and is expected to make a full recovery." The statement says he will return to work and the campaign trail in the next few weeks.

Busch was at the University of Maryland Medical Center on Wednesday for a routine test. He was experiencing shortness of breath so doctors recommended additional testing to determine the cause, and he had surgery after that.

The 71-year-old Busch had a liver transplant last year after he was diagnosed with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. Busch is the longest-serving House speaker in Maryland history.

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