The Bush family breathed a collective sigh of relief this morning, as former President George W. Bush successfully underwent heart surgery and had a stent inserted to open up a blocked artery. He is expected to make a full recovery.

"President Bush is in high spirits, eager to return home tomorrow and resume his normal schedule on Thursday. He is grateful to the skilled medical professionals who have cared for him. He thanks his family, friends, and fellow citizens for their prayers and well wishes. And he encourages us all to get our regular check-ups," said a statement from Bush's office.

The blockage was first discovered on Monday during Bush's annual physical exam at the Cooper Clinic in Dallas. In less than one day's time the former president was in surgery at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital to fix the problem.

The health scare comes as a bit of a surprise for Bush, who is very active as both an avid biker and runner. He even hosts a 100K bike ride every year with U.S. service members for the Bush Institute's Military Service Initiative. 

"As somebody who appears to take care of themselves and is very healthy its always surprising when they develop heart disease," said Dr. John McPherson, a cardiovascular specialist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. "His healthy lifestyle may have delayed the onset of this by several years."

The procedure itself is actually "very common" according to McPherson. The diagnosis of blocked arteries can occur through several methods. If a patient is experiencing chest pain or shortness of breath, that is usually a good indicator, and the diagnosis can be verified by performing a stress test on the treadmill or via medication.

"Our job in the medical community is to educate people to know their own risk factors, how to modify them, and when you need to have more of an evaluation," said Lawrence Phillips, a cardiologist with the Langone Medical Center at New York University.