Centre-right opposition leader Silvio Berlusconi, who has just undergone heart surgery at an American hospital, will not be back in Italy before the end of the week, his spokesman said on Tuesday.
There was little chance of the combative former premier taking part in a parliamentary vote on the government's budget bill on Thursday or Friday, as some commentators had speculated, Paolo Bonaiuti said.
The 70-year-old opposition chief was operated on at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio on Monday in order to "correct an irregular heartbeat".
Bonaiuti said that Berlusconi had been extremely moved by the goodwill shown him by the Italian political world during his time at the clinic.
"The first thing he said to me today was: I want to thank everyone, absolutely everyone, from (Premier Romano) Prodi to all the ordinary people who sent messages," Bonaiuti said.
"He was really moved by all the displays of solidarity. In in fact it was incredible, all the phones were ringing non stop at his Milan and Rome homes".
Berlusconi's health has been in the spotlight since November 26, when he collapsed at a political rally.
The ex-premier, who made his political debut 12 years ago, fainted during an on-stage speech to young members of his Forza Italia party.
He came round almost immediately and the incident was attributed to stress, fatigue and lack of sleep - as well as the heat in the meeting hall.
But Berlusconi, who lost power to centre-left chief Romano Prodi in the April general election, spent three days in hospital afterwards having tests.
Doctors subsequently diagnosed an irregular heartbeat and at the weekend he travelled to the Ohio clinic to be operated on by internationally renowned heart expert Andrea Natale.
After the surgery, Prodi sent a message saying he was "happy" to learn that the operation went well and that he would be "truly pleased" to see him back in Italy as soon as possible.
