'X-Men' star undergoes angioplasty

LOS ANGELES -- "X-Men" star Patrick Stewart is recovering at home after undergoing an angioplasty procedure earlier this week to widen an artery, his publicist said Friday.

Angioplasty involves the use of a catheter to place a small inflatable balloon in a narrowed blood vessel.

When the balloon is inflated, the artery flows more freely.

The 64-year-old Stewart -- who played Professor Charles Xavier in the "X-Men" film and its sequel and Capt. Jean-Luc Picard on "Star Trek: The Next Generation" -- went for an annual physical Monday, according to publicist Kelly Bush.

Doctors detected a blood-flow problem and recommended "pre-emptive angioplasty" to head off any future ailments.

Bush described the procedure as a success and said Stewart is resting before returning to work next week, where he plans to finish the upcoming movie "The Game of Their Lives."

He also will start voiceover work on the Fox TV animated series "American Dad."

However, Stewart's recovery will force him to miss a planned appearance today in Toronto, where he was to visit a Canadian sci-fi festival.