On Saturday, 71-year-old former vice-president Dick Cheney received a heart transplant. Cheney has had heart problems since his thirties.
The anti-Cheney crowd is already questioning why a man in his seventies is getting a heart transplant, thereby depriving a younger person of getting a new heart. And, of course, the Cheney-haters are claiming that he received preferential treatment by moving ahead of others on the transplant waiting list. Wrong on both counts!
There was a time when heart patients were not considered for transplants once they reached the age of 65. However, many transplant centers have extended the age limit in recent years because studies have shown that when recipients over 65 receive a new heart, 70 percent of them live five years longer compared to those who did not get a transplant under the same circumstances.
And this will come as a shock to the Cheney-haters. The UCLA Medical Center reports that the average waiting time for transplant recipients is 3 – 6 months. Cheney waited 20 months for his new heart.
I’ve got one thing to say to all the Cheney-haters: Get a life!
No comments:
Post a Comment