Heart Transplant at 71 - Did Cheney Receive Special Treatment?

As a transplant recipient myself, I can say with assurance that the rich and/or famous do not receive special treatment when it comes to receiving the gift of life. The lists that are maintained as to who is up next to receive only have information relating to how sick a person is, and does not have any identifying information that would allow such things to happen.

As for the medical field in general, I wouldn't say there is a bias so much as those that can afford it have more options in receiving the best care possible. less

They do not pick the person who will get it based on their financial or personal status. It is fully based on the health information of that individual. If Cheney wanted to get one using his resources, he could have gone to another country and bought one. less

Cheney is above the age where most people would ever be placed on a transplant list (my mother is younger than him and was told, even though she has end stage renal disease, she was "too old" to even think about a transplant.)

At 71 most men Cheney's age would be told to make the best of the time they had left and the organ would be saved for a younger recipient.

The "rules" on who gets on transplant lists and who gets to the top quickly are very hazy to the public. Usually, the transplant committee will not even explain to people who gets where on the list, or even why some people can't get on the list.

"They" (meaning the transplant committees of hospitals and medical centers) certainly DO "pick" who gets on the list and who gets to leap frog. Usually, children are given preference, then, sadly, rich people and those will full insurance.

There is NO transparency with transplant committees. It's one of the (many) dark secrets of hospitals and medical care. For instance, people with chronic diseases (that the transplant won't cure) alcoholics, drug addicts and other people in these classes are often never put on lists or constantly place at the bottom. If an alcoholic DOES get a new liver and he burns that liver out, it is assumed that he continued drinking (because he probably did) and the chance of getting a second one is nil. In fact, most alcoholics won't get a chance to get a first liver transplant (unless you are David Crosby and have a lot of money and will donate bucks to the hospital.)

Yes, supposedly Cheney "had to wait almost two years" for his new heart. But, most men his age of normal means would never have been allowed on the transplant list at his age.

Of COURSE he got special treatment. less

Age is typically not a factor when assessing transplant recipients. As I was taught in school, age is not a disease. Assess a patient for their health.

Also to consider is how long a transplant will last. Here are some numbers I found:

About 81% of all people who receive heart transplants survive for at least 1 year.
About 75% survive 3 years, and 68% survive 5 years.
About 50% survive 10 years.
(Pham MX, et al. (2008). Surgical treatment of heart failure, cardiac transplantation, and mechanical ventricular support. In V Fuster et al., eds., Hurst's The Heart, 12th ed., pp. 761-790. New York: McGraw-Hill.)

Based on those numbers and assuming Cheney was otherwise deemed healthy, his age shouldn't have been given much, if any, consideration. Its not unreasonable to expect a healthy male to live to be 81. less

Other - I don't know. I am fairly uninformed about how it works, other than it has to be a medical match before any special treatment could even factor in. How many potential Cheney hearts went to other people in the time he was on the list? We'll never know.

I don't think it's wrong to give a transplant to someone his age, however. I know transplant hearts are valuable, but I don't think the life of a 71 year old is worth less than the life of a 51 year old. less

Age is typically not a factor when assessing transplant recipients. As I was taught in school, age is not a disease. Assess a patient for their health.

Also to consider is how long a transplant will last. Here are some numbers I found:

About 81% of all people who receive heart transplants survive for at least 1 year.
About 75% survive 3 years, and 68% survive 5 years.
About 50% survive 10 years.
(Pham MX, et al. (2008). Surgical treatment of heart failure, cardiac transplantation, and mechanical ventricular support. In V Fuster et al., eds., Hurst's The Heart, 12th ed., pp. 761-790. New York: McGraw-Hill.)

Based on those numbers and assuming Cheney was otherwise deemed healthy, his age shouldn't have been given much, if any, consideration. Its not unreasonable to expect a healthy male to live to be 81. less