Saudi King Fahd, resting in Switzerland for an unspecified period, might undergo knee surgery if his health permits, a Saudi source said Tuesday.
"His majesty will undergo medical checkups. There is a possibility that doctors might operate on his knee if his health permits and if he can tolerate anesthetics," the Saudi source added. It was unclear what was the matter with the king's knee.
State media said on Monday the ailing monarch, in his late 70s, flew to Geneva for rest for an unspecified period. They provided no further details.
King Fahd, a diabetic with a history of poor health, has rarely traveled abroad since he suffered a stroke in 1995.
The king will later travel to Spain, said the source, which spoke on condition of anonymity, according to Reuters.
He said the trips to Switzerland and Spain had been decided a few weeks ago and did not signal a "dangerous development" in the monarch's health. He declined further details.
Meanwhile, Geneva airport spokesman Philippe Roy said that the airport had been informed some time ago with regards to the visit. "We expect him to stay six to eight weeks," he said.
A police spokesman also said that the private visit was due to last several weeks. "In theory, no trips are expected outside of the residence. But we are at his disposal for an escort."
Saudi state television on Monday showed the king in a wheelchair seen off by his brother Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah.
Saudi diplomats in Geneva declined to say whether the monarch would seek treatment at any of the discrete Swiss clinics in the region long favored by the royal family. "He is at his residence," a Saudi diplomat said.
King Fahd was to have undergone knee surgery at a clinic near Geneva in 1996, however the visit was cancelled at the last minute.
A private helicopter was on standby at Fahd's Geneva residence, "the Villa of the Dawn", a mansion surrounded by gardens overlooking the lake.
The king has been shown on television chairing cabinet meetings and receiving foreign dignitaries, but he has not made any public statement for years.
His last trip abroad was a two-month visit to his mansion in a Spanish resort in 1999, which followed surgery in Saudi Arabia to remove a blood clot in his left eye. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
