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Spanish king to have another hip operation

20 September 2013 20:54 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. King Juan Carlos of Spain will undergo an operation on his left hip, it was confirmed on Friday by the Spanish royal family, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

It will be the second surgery for the king in recent months after he had an artificial hip implanted in November last year. In March, he had an operation on a sclerosis and a distal hernia.

Recent weeks have seen the king's recovery slow down and he showed signs of a lack of mobility in recent public appearances. He needed to be steadied and prevented from falling at a recent event at the royal palace.

In total, the king has had a total of 13 operations in his lifetime, with many of his earlier operations being needed as the result of accidents he suffered while participating in various sports.

Prince Felipe of Asturias, the heir to the throne, will take over the King's official duties as he recovers from his latest intervention.

Carlos' health problems will probably reopen the debate as to whether he should abdicate to make way for his son, who enjoys a much higher approval rating.