Time to change Cheney's batteries

WASHINGTON (AP) - Vice President Dick Cheney went to the hospital on Saturday to undergo minor surgery to replace the battery that powers a device monitoring his heart rhythms.
During Cheney's annual physical last month, doctors tested his implanted cardioverter-defibrillator and learned that the battery powering the device had reached a level where replacement is recommended, Megan McGinn, deputy press secretary for Cheney, said Friday.
The surgery will be performed at George Washington University Hospital.
Dr. John Kassotis, director of electrophysiology at State University of New York's Downstate Medical Center, said doctors typically use a local anesthetic on the chest and shoulder area below the collar bone. They make an incision and remove the defibrillator's generator, detaching it from wires that are connected inside the patient's heart.
"Then, they will reconnect a new battery," Kassotis said. "They will test that everything is working appropriately, then they will suture him closed. What we do is watch the patient for about an hour, make sure that they're doing fine, and send them home."
The defibrillator monitors Cheney's heart and will deliver a shock if it ever goes out of rhythm.