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Cheney Heart Transplant

March 25, 2012 by · Comments Off on Cheney Heart Transplant 

Cheney Heart Transplant, Former US Vice-President Dick Cheney was recovering on Saturday after undergoing heart transplant surgery, a once risky procedure whose survival rates have improved over the years.

The 71-year-old Republican, who wielded unprecedented power as vice-president during the George W Bush administration’s war on t*rror*sm, was in the intensive care unit at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church, Virginia.

Cheney, who has suffered five heart attacks, the first at age 37, had been on the cardiac transplant list for more than 20 months before he received the heart from an anonymous donor.

“Although the former vice-president and his family do not know the identity of the donor, they will be forever grateful for this lifesaving gift,” the spokesperson, Kara Ahern, said.

According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, about 88% survive the first year after heart transplant surgery and 75% survive for five years. The 10-year survival rate is about 56%.

Dick Cheney Heart Transplant

March 25, 2012 by · Comments Off on Dick Cheney Heart Transplant 

Dick Cheney Heart Transplant, Former Vice President Dick Cheney was recovering Saturday at a Virginia hospital after receiving a heart transplant, his office said. Cheney was in the Intensive Care Unit of Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church, his office said.

Cheney, 71, who served as vice president in the George W. Bush administration, has had a long history of heart trouble and has been on the cardiac transplant list for more than 20 months.

“Although the former Vice President and his family do not know the identity of the donor, they will be forever grateful for this lifesaving gift,” aide Kara Ahern said in a written statement that was authenticated by several close associates of the former vice president.
More than 3,100 Americans currently are on the national waiting list for a heart transplant. Just over 2,300 heart transplants were performed last year, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing. And 330 people died while waiting.

According to UNOS, 332 people over age 65 received a heart transplant last year. The majority of transplants occur in 50- to 64-year-olds.

The odds of survival are good. More than 70 percent of heart transplant recipients live at least five years, although survival is a bit lower for people over age 65.

NBC’s Robert Bazell explains the process of receiving a heart transplant amid news that Former Vice President Dick Cheney has received a new heart.

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