The Hill News

Former Vice President Dick Cheney is in a Washington, D.C., area hospital Wednesday after undergoing heart surgery last week. 

Cheney, 69, has a history of heart problems and has suffered multiple heart attacks since his first in 1978 at the age of 37. 

In a statement issued by his spokesman, Peter Long, the former vice president said "the operation went very well and I am now recuperating.”

Cheney said the procedure was performed to insert a small pump called a Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) that “improves heart function and will enable me to resume an active life.” Cheney said he is undergoing care at the Inova Fairfax Heart and Vascular Institute in suburban Virginia. 

The former vice president was admitted to George Washington University Hospital late last month after experiencing “discomfort” that was a result of his history of heart problems, and was released after several days. 

In his statement, Cheney thanked “all of you who have included my family and me in your thoughts and prayers.”