JERUSALEM (AP) – Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will undergo heart surgery Thursday to close a small hole that apparently led to his recent stroke, his office announced Sunday.

Doctors said last week that the procedure, known as a cardiac catheterization, would virtually eliminate the risk of Sharon suffering a similar stroke.

The hole was discovered after Sharon’s Dec. 18 stroke. The hole, located in the partition between the upper chambers of Sharon’s heart, measures less than an inch wide and is a common birth defect found in about 20 percent of the population, doctors said.

The stroke abruptly put the health of Sharon, who is 77 and overweight, on the political agenda as he seeks a third term in March 28 elections. Despite the health concerns, opinion polls continue to forecast a strong victory by Sharon, the country’s most popular politician.

At a news conference last Monday, doctors said Sharon would undergo the catheterization within three weeks. In the meantime, he has been treated with blood-thinning medication.

The procedure will take place at Hadassah Hospital Ein Karem in Jerusalem, the same hospital that treated Sharon for the stroke, hospital officials said.

Doctors said Sharon briefly lost the ability to speak during the stroke but suffered no lasting damage. Last week, he resumed his full work schedule.

AP-ES-01-01-06 0800EST