Saudi King to undergo more surgery in US

Saudi's royal court says King Abdullah is to undergo more surgery in the US today as a follow-up to his previous treatment.

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RIYADH // Saudi King Abdullah, 86, will undergo more surgery on his back in the US on Friday, the royal court said, nine days after his first operation to fix a herniated disc.

"King Abdullah will return for surgery to repair several vertebrae in his spine in a follow-up to his previous treatment...in accordance with the plan set by his medical team," the court said in a statement carried by the official SPA news agency.

Abdullah flew to New York City on November 22 and was operated on two days later at New York Presbyterian Hospital for a debilitating herniated disc complicated by a hematoma that put pressure on his spine.

The court had said the first operation was a success, and that the king walked on his own inside the hospital shortly afterward.