Former US President Bill Clinton was released from a Manhattan hospital Monday, four days after undergoing a follow-up surgery to treat a complication from his open heart surgery six months ago.

Clinton left New York Presbyterian Hospital in the evening. He underwent surgery last Thursday to remove fluid and scar tissue which had developed following his quadruple bypass in September.

In a statement issued upon his release, the former president said his wife Hillary, daughter Chelsea and himself "are very grateful to the medical team that cared for me at the hospital, and we deeply appreciate all the prayers and good wishes we've received in recent days."

He will continue his recovery at his New York home at Chappaqua, where his doctors expect him to remain for the next four to six weeks.

Prior to his most recent surgery, the former president had lost about 25 percent of the capacity of his lung. His condition, which occurs in about one percent of bypass patients, was not life-threatening, his doctors said.

Last September, Clinton had quadruple bypass surgery after suffering from chest pains and shortness of breath. He blamed the blockage on a family history of heart disease and a penchant for junk food.

Source: Xinhua