McCain has blood clot removed, will recover in Arizona next week

WASHINGTON, July 15 (Reuters) - U.S. Senator John McCain will remain in Arizona next week to recuperate from a medical procedure that removed a 2-inch (5-cm) blood clot above his left eye, his office announced in a statement on Saturday.

It was unclear how McCain's absence might affect a crucial Senate vote on legislation to dismantle and replace Obamacare, with Republicans so divided that the absence of a single "yes" vote could doom the healthcare bill.

McCain's office was not immediately available to comment on when the lawmaker would return to Washington.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell's office also did not immediately respond to a request for comment on how the healthcare vote might be affected.

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McCain, the 2008 Republican presidential nominee, was resting comfortably at home in good condition after the Friday operation, according to doctors at the Mayo Clinic Hospital in Phoenix. The hospital said tissue pathology reports would be available within the next several days.

It was unclear whether McCain would be available for a key Senate vote on healthcare legislation

Surgeons removed the clot during a minimally invasive craniotomy through an incision in the 80-year-old lawmaker's eyebrow.

"Thanks to @MayoClinic for its excellent care -- I appreciate your support & look forward to getting back to work!," McCain, who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in a tweet late on Saturday.

(Reporting by David Morgan; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)