Bush to Undergo Colon Test Requiring Brief Power Transfer

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Saturday, June 29, 2002

Bush to Undergo Colon Test Requiring Brief Power Transfer

US President George W. Bush said Friday that he will briefly transfer his presidential authority to Vice President Dick Cheney on Saturday as he undergoes a colon check requiring sedation.

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US President George W. Bush said Friday that he will briefly transfer his presidential authority to Vice President Dick Cheney on Saturday as he undergoes a colon check requiring sedation.

Before leaving the White House for the Camp David retreat, Bush told reporters that he has no signs or symptoms of any illness. He said the colonoscopy was recommended by his doctors because benign polyps were found in a previous check.

"The doctors recommend that I have another one because the last time they found some benign polyps so this is a routine physical examination," he said. Two benign polyps were surgically removed from his colon in July 1998.

Bush said he decided to transfer powers to Cheney out of extra caution because the nation is at war. Cheney will be "standing by - - realizing he's not going to be president that long," he joked.

The White House said the procedure, to be conducted at the Camp David, could take an hour or so.

"I'm going to be sedated for a period of time and we'll transfer power to the vice president during that time and I look forward to exercising tomorrow afternoon after the procedure takes place," he said.

Bush noted that he is the first U.S. president to have decided to transfer power under this type of medical procedure of physical examination. "I did so because we're at war and just want to be super cautious," he said.

A colonoscopy is a regular medical procedure thought to reduce the risk of colon cancer by up to 90 percent. The procedure is generally performed with the patient put under a light drugged sleep.

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