Watch CBS News

Did He Cut In Line?

Written by Dr. Dave Hnida, CBS4 Medical EditorWhen the word came out that Dick Cheney had received a new heart via transplant, a lot of people wondered whether he received special treatment.

After all, he's been a big time player in the political world for decades, and you would think has the pull to get whatever he needs, including a brand new ticker.

And if anyone needed a new one, it's Dick Cheney. Five heart attacks dating back to age 37. A plethora of bypasses, angioplasties, and pacemakers. And, before this transplant, a heart that was pumping out blood by the ounce instead of gallons.

As it turns out, he didn't get special treatment. He waited 20 months to get a new heart-- that average wait time is 6-12 months. (BTW, each year there are about 3,000 people who sit on the heart transplant list, and 2000 actually get a new one.)

So how about his age? He's 71 -- not exactly a spring chicken. Is it worth implanting a new organ in someone who is considered "elderly" while there are many much younger people who are in need of a new pump?

In his case, he made the list because of his fits guidelines based on overall health. If you've got a shopping cart of other health problems, there's no way you would be eligible. But Cheney is in otherwise excellent health and is expected to do well with a transplant.

The average survival of a heart transplant patient is about 13 years after the procedure, so that would take him into his early/mid eighties, which these days is now the new 50s.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.