Ex-US Vice-President Dick Cheney has pump placed in heart

Washington, July 15 : Former US Vice President Dick Cheney has revealed that he has undergone surgery to install a small pump in his heart to combat coronary artery disease.

Former President George W Bush's deputy has suffered heart problems for much of his adult life, suffering five heart attacks since the age of 37.

Cheney was admitted to George Washington University Hospital in June after experiencing discomfort in his chest, and he underwent the surgery last week at Inova Fairfax Heart and Vascular Institute in northern Virginia.

"After a series of recent tests and discussions with my doctors, I decided to take advantage of one of the new technologies available and have a Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) implanted," Politico quoted Cheney, as saying in a statement.

"The LVAD is a small implantable pump that improves heart function and will enable me to resume an active life," he added.

The battery-powered LVAD is typically implanted next to the heart to help the left ventricle pump blood through the body and relieve pressure.

The devices are used mainly for short periods to buy potential transplant candidates time as they await a donor organ.