MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) – Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley was hospitalized with an abnormal heartbeat on Wednesday.
His office said the 74-year-old governor underwent a procedure for an irregular heartbeat, which can increase the risk of stroke and heart failure if not controlled.
“This morning, Governor Bentley briefly underwent a common, routine procedure for atrial fibrillation. Governor Bentley is feeling well and there are no serious medical concerns,” the statement from Bentley spokeswoman Yasamie August said.
August said Bentley is expected to return to work quickly, but she did not specify when.
Bentley appeared fine Tuesday night at a legislative reception hosted by the state’s seafood industry, according to legislators and others who were there.
The second-term governor still faces the threat of impeachment after a scandal involving his relationship with a former aide. The House Judiciary Committee kept its impeachment probe on pause Tuesday, deferring to a separate investigation by the attorney general’s office.