After Cheney's annual checkup last month, his doctors advised him to have the implanted cardioverter defibrillator replaced because the battery was nearing the point it would have to be replaced. His office has said the device was functioning properly and had not treated any abnormal heart beats.

"On Saturday morning, the Vice President will have a scheduled visit with his doctors at George Washington University Hospital at which time his ICD will be replaced," his spokeswoman Megan McGinn said.

Cheney, 66, has had four heart attacks, the most recent shortly after the November 2000 election, although it was considered mild. He had the defibrillator implanted in his chest in 2001 to help regulate his heartbeat.

The vice president, one of President George W. Bush's closest advisers, also had a blood clot in his leg found after a nine-day trip through Asia and the Middle East this year.

Reuters

Güncelleme Tarihi: 28 Temmuz 2007, 12:01