WASHINGTON, Sept. 16 (Xinhuanet) -- US Vice President Dick Cheney will undergo a surgery next weekend to treat an aneurism behind his right knee and it will involve a short hospital stay, his office said on Friday.

    "The vice president is slated to have an elective surgical procedure to treat an aneurysm in the artery behind the right knee that was discovered earlier this year during a routine checkup," said Steve Schmidt, a senior counselor to Cheney.

    The treatment would require a short hospital stay, he said.

    "It is a condition that needs to be addressed so as not to become a problem over time," he said.

    Schmidt said details about the procedure would be announced next week, and Cheney "will return to work shortly thereafter."

    Cheney, 64, who has a history of heart trouble, underwent angioplasty in November 2000 after suffering his fourth heart attack since 1978.

    An aneurism is a bulging weak spot in an artery, which may eventually burst or rupture if not treated. Enditem