Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi went into hospital for a brief operation on Saturday, Ocotber 23 to have a heart pacemaker fitted, the office of the 83-year-old leader said. The device was fitted under local anaesthetic, Ciampi's office said, adding that the president would be back at work on Tuesday, and had not cancelled any engagements. Ciampi was appointed president in 1999. His seven-year mandate ends in 2006.