Frisco, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - The Dallas Stars announced Wednesday that forward Rich Peverley has had a successful procedure performed to correct an irregular heartbeat that caused him to collapse during a game last week.
Peverley underwent the operation at the Cleveland Clinic Tuesday, eight days after the 31-year-old suffered a cardiac event while on the bench during a home game against Columbus on Mar. 10.
Standard recovery time for the surgery is between 2-to-3 months, after which Peverley will be re-evaluated to see if he can continue his career.
"Rich Peverley underwent successful surgery to correct an abnormal heart rhythm at the Cleveland Clinic on Tuesday, March 18," Stars general manager Jim Nill said in a statement. "He is currently in normal sinus rhythm. He was released from the Cleveland Clinic today and is expected to return to Dallas tomorrow. He will be monitored closely and may require further treatment. There is no decision being made at this time on his ability to return to hockey participation."
Peverley, who had a previous surgery performed during the preseason to correct an irregular heartbeat, collapsed shortly after completing a shift in the first period of last week's game. He was aided by medical personnel at the arena before being taken to the hospital.
The surgical procedure Peverley underwent Tuesday, known as an ablation, was originally scheduled to take place after the season.
Peverley could have had the ablation performed before the season, but decided for another procedure that kept him sidelined for three weeks and forced him to miss the entire preseason. He was then given medication in an effort to control the heart rhythm.
The game between the Stars and Blue Jackets was ultimately postponed with Columbus owning a 1-0 lead and rescheduled for April 9. The teams will play a full 60 minutes in the makeup game, though the Jackets will be allowed to keep their one-goal advantage.
Peverley, acquired from the Boston Bruins in July as part of the trade that also sent Stars leading scorer Tyler Seguin to Dallas, has seven goals and 23 assists this season.