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That longer than average claim is really meaningless. Perhaps everyone awaiting a transplant has been on the list longer than average recently. The wait time would be related to donor organ availability more than any other single factor.
In any case, it's another example of Cheney putting himself first. Totally consistent with his lifelong behavior.
Your argument doesn't hold water with that kind of speculation.
Equally important to availability of a heart for transplantation is a good tissue match. For all we know, Dick Cheney may have a tissue type that is not easily matched. If that be the case, then Cheney--and anyone else who is not easily matched--would wait longer than the average.
Many factors weigh into who gets the next available organ for transplant--age of recipient, tissue match, general health, medical suitability for surviving the surgery, how much physical distance there is between the organ and the recipient (heart transplants must be done within a few hours), etc. With Cheney holding no public office today, he would be just another person on the transplant list.
Much as so many of those posting on this thread want to believe that Cheney was given preferential treatment, all signs point to the opposite.
Heart Transplant Success Rate
The human heart transplantation success rate is related to the risk factors before transplantation. However, on an average, the success rate is close to 95% in most centers. The risks are heightened if:
The patient is over 60 years of age.
Is on a ventilator.
Has an elevated panel reactive antibody level.
Has had a previous heart transplant.
Has high pressures in the pulmonary (lung) blood vessels.
However, even in such cases, there are 95% or higher chance of being initially successful. The first 30 days are crucial and if a patient lives through those, there is close to 90% chance that he/she will be alive at the end of the first year.
Heart Transplant Risks
Our immune system protects us from potentially harmful substances. A 'foreign' organ and tissue in our bodies would almost always trigger an immune response, which would result in the destruction of the foreign tissue. In order to prevent this from happening, a patient is given strong immunosuppressive drugs. However, one of the major risks of heart transplant remains rejection of the donor heart by the body. Every 3 to 4 months after an organ transplant, a sample (biopsy) of the heart tissue is tested and an echocardiography, electrocardiography (ECG, EKG), or blood tests are also performed to check for rejection.
While immuno-suppressant drugs are required to suppress your immune system so that it does not reject the donor heart, these drugs may have side effects, including an increased risk of infections and cancer. Steroids given may cause side effects such as infections, ulcers or bone loss.
Doesn't sound like a completely pleasant event in one's life. A recipient would benefit from having not only excellent physicians ( which we are certain Dick has) on their side, good Karma would help too...no other comment.
This is why we need medical review boards aka "death panels". He should have never even been put in line for a heart. No male over 70 should be given a new heart (and, yes, that includes me and my family).
I agree. At that age I would rather check out than take away a healthy heart from someone younger.
Your argument doesn't hold water with that kind of speculation.
Equally important to availability of a heart for transplantation is a good tissue match. For all we know, Dick Cheney may have a tissue type that is not easily matched. If that be the case, then Cheney--and anyone else who is not easily matched--would wait longer than the average.
Many factors weigh into who gets the next available organ for transplant--age of recipient, tissue match, general health, medical suitability for surviving the surgery, how much physical distance there is between the organ and the recipient (heart transplants must be done within a few hours), etc. With Cheney holding no public office today, he would be just another person on the transplant list.
Unrealistically naive.
You're free to believe that, but it more than likely isn't the case.
Quote:
Much as so many of those posting on this thread want to believe that Cheney was given preferential treatment, all signs point to the opposite.
You're free to believe that, but it more than likely isn't the case.
You haven't made that argument at all.
Nor have you. I'm coming from a background of a lifetime in nursing and was a specialist in a field where many people received transplants (kidneys). From what I can see, you just hate Dick Cheney and want to believe the worst about him.
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