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Docs Replace Cheney's Heart Implant

Veep gets go-ahead to return to work after defibrillator gets new battery

By Sam Biddle,  Newser Staff

Posted Jul 29, 2007 8:15 AM CDT
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(Newser) – Doctors have replaced Dick Cheney's defibrillator "without complication," a spokeswoman for the VP says. A checkup last month revealed that the battery in the 6-year-old cardiac implant was running low, and yesterday doctors performed a routine procedure to swap out the power source without affecting the wires that connect to the heart, the AP reports.

The defibrillator, about the size of a sports watch, is inserted between the flesh and muscle of the upper chest and corrects fast or abnormal heartbeats with an electric pulse. The four-time heart attack survivor smiled and waved as he left after spending 4 hours at George Washington University Hospital. "The vice president feels fine," the spokeswoman said.

Vice President Dick Cheney, right, is accompanied by his wife Lynne as he leaves George Washington University hospital in Washington, Saturday, July 28, 2007 after minor surgery to replace the battery that powers a device monitoring his heart rhythms. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
Vice President Dick Cheney, right, is accompanied by his wife Lynne as he leaves George Washington University hospital in Washington, Saturday, July 28, 2007 after minor surgery to replace the battery...   (Associated Press)
Vice President Dick Cheney waves as he leaves George Washington University hospital in Washington, Saturday, July 28, 2007, after minor surgery to replace the battery that powers a device monitoring his heart rhythms. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
Vice President Dick Cheney waves as he leaves George Washington University hospital in Washington, Saturday, July 28, 2007, after minor surgery to replace the battery that powers a device monitoring his...   (Associated Press)
Vice President Dick Cheney smiles as he leaves George Washington University hospital in Washington, Saturday, July 28, 2007 after minor surgery to replace the battery that powers a device monitoring his heart rhythms. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
Vice President Dick Cheney smiles as he leaves George Washington University hospital in Washington, Saturday, July 28, 2007 after minor surgery to replace the battery that powers a device monitoring his...   (Associated Press)
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Dick Cheney • surgery • heart • heart attack • vice president • defibrillator

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