Former Vice President Mike Pence had surgery Wednesday to have a pacemaker implanted after experiencing "symptoms associated with a slow heart rate," according to his press office.
The routine surgery was at Inova Fairfax Medical Campus in Falls Church, Virginia. Pence, 61, had been experiencing the symptoms for about two weeks before the surgery, the release said.
Pacemakers are a small device installed under the skin on a person’s chest to help control an individual’s heartbeat.
In 2016, upon being nominated to be the Republican vice presidential candidate, then-Indiana Gov. Pence disclosed his medical history, including a diagnosis of asymptomatic left bundle branch block.
"I am grateful for the swift professionalism and care of the outstanding doctors, nurses and staff at Inova Heart and Vascular Institute, including Dr. Brett Atwater and Dr. Behnam Tehrani,” Pence said in a statement. “I also appreciate the consultation of my longtime Indiana physicians, Dr. Michael Busk and Dr. Charles Taliercio at Ascension St. Vincent. My family has been truly blessed by the work of these dedicated health care professionals."
The Columbus native is expected to fully recover, and will return to normal activities in the coming days.
Recent developments have suggested that Pence may be eyeing a 2024 presidential run, the Associated Press reported.
On April 7, Pence launched the nonprofit political advocacy group Advancing American Freedom, which "plans to build on the success of the last four years by promoting traditional conservative values and promoting the successful policies of the Trump Administration." He also announced that an autobiography, worth between $3 and $4 million, is scheduled to come out in 2023 as part of a two-book package.
In February, Pence announced he was joining the think tank Heritage Foundation in Washington D.C., where to act as a distinguished visiting fellow.
Pence has not formally announced whether or not he is planning on a presidential run in four years. He and his wife, Karen, have been living in northern Virginia since he left office. In January, during a stop in Columbus, Pence said the couple planned on moving back to Indiana this summer.
