COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster was put under anesthesia for about 10 minutes Wednesday to fix a minor irregular heartbeat, his office said.
The problem was found when the 74-year-old governor was scheduled for arthroscopic knee surgery Wednesday after suffering a slight meniscus tear while playing tennis with his wife, his office said in a statement to The Associated Press.
A pre-operation electrocardiogram Tuesday found the governor's heartbeat normal. But one final test before the knee procedure found his heartbeat was irregular, his cardiologist Dr. Amy Rawl Epps said.
“The procedure, which required the governor to be anesthetized for 5 to 10 minutes, was a complete success," Epps said in a statement
McMaster was treated for atrial fibrillation where some chambers of the heart beat out of sync with the others, his office said.
The governor returned home after the procedure around noon and was working from the governor's mansion later Wednesday. He will schedule his knee surgery for later, his office said.
McMaster let Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette know he was going under. According to the state constitution, the lieutenant governor can act as the governor in an emergency if the governor is temporarily disabled.
No emergencies arose while McMaster was incapacitated, his office said.
McMaster is running for reelection this year. Because he took over the final two years of then-Gov. Nikki Haley's term, he could serve for 10 years — the longest anyone has ever been South Carolina's governor.