Heart surgery goes well for vice president
Vice President Dick Cheney, who has a history of heart problems, had surgery to replace an implanted device that monitors his heartbeat.
Doctors at George Washington University Hospital replaced his battery-powered defibrillator. If the device were to sense an abnormal rhythm, it would deliver an electronic shock to reset Cheney’s heart to a normal beat.
“The device was successfully replaced without complication,” said Megan McGinn, Cheney’s deputy press secretary.
Doctors did not replace the defibrillator’s wiring. Replacing the wires, which thread through his heart, would have required a more extensive operation.
Cheney waved as he left the hospital about four hours after he arrived with wife Lynne.
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