Man Given New Type of Atomic Pacemaker
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NEWARK, N. J. — The first patient to receive a nuclear-powered pacemaker that controls both chambers of the heart said Thursday that he feels good “but a little weak.”
The device, which weighs about two ounces and is powered by plutonium 238, was implanted in the chest of John Sniffen, 47, of Clifton, N. J., in a 90-minute operation Tuesday at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center. The cigarette lighter-size pacemaker is expected to last for 20 to 40 years.
“I feel good but a little weak from the operation,” said Sniffen, flashing a smile for reporters. “I am not worried about the device. You can get more radiation flying in an airplane than you do with this in your body.”
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