Emperor Akihito successfully underwent heart bypass surgery Saturday at University of Tokyo Hospital after he was diagnosed with angina, the Imperial Household Agency said.
The coronary-artery bypass surgery, conducted by a team of doctors from the hospital and Juntendo University Hospital, started at 11:01 a.m. and ended at 2:57 p.m., officials said.
It was the 78-year-old Emperor's first surgery since 2003, when he underwent an operation for prostate cancer.