King Abdullah left New York Presbyterian Hospital on Dec. 21 in good health following an operation to stabilize vertebrae in his spinal column. The Royal Court said the king would spend a period of convalescence at his New York residence. Obama called to wish the King well and "to congratulate him on the progress that he has made toward a full recovery," the White House said. "King Abdullah congratulated the President on the recent Senate approval of the New START Treaty."The King flew to New York for medical treatment on Nov. 22 following a slipped disc and a blood clot pressing on the nerves in his back. He then underwent two surgeries. The first surgery at the New York Presbyterian Hospital extracted the clot and corrected the disc. The second surgery was conducted on Dec. 3 to “stabilize several vertebrae on the spinal cord to complement the previous surgery on Nov. 24,” the SPA said.
