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Dick Cheney receives heart transplant

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    Drs. Samadi, Siegel on the former VP's progress

  • Duration 6:05
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Once again all the health news you need this week to live your life right Sunday house -- joining us this morning doctor Marc Siegel associate professor of medicine at that and why you went on medical center are.

And the author of the -- pulse unlocking the secret code of sickness and health and doctor David -- he's the vice chairman of the department of urology and chief of robotics.

At the Mount Sinai Medical Center here in New York.

Doctors good morning good -- reporters want to talk about this not the view and an important story that we we all talked about via email last night and and that is the former Vice President Dick Cheney.

Who had a heart transplant he'd been waiting twenty months on -- -- plant list.

He had a left ventricular assist device implanted for the treatment of end stage heart failure already.

And after being on that list -- -- -- he gets the call he goes to the hospital and he has this transplant what's involved in that surgery.

Well first of all let me wish him -- fast recovery or I'm I'm really happy that he was able to tolerate the surgery well.

This really speaks about the wonders of medicine and surgery in this country the fact -- he's been struggling with this heart disease for the last.

Two decades five heart attacks case -- care.

And -- tell that he got Danielle that or left ventricular assist the device in 2010 it's basically -- battery powered pump.

That you can go on for many years before you going transplant.

This -- as you can see it's it's basically takes the blood away from their -- Part time and sends the blood to the circulation there's battery that you can Wear.

And it's a bridge for many things it could -- very well it is it's a bridge to either recovery of the heart.

-- could do you bridge to transplant or it could be parent is -- basically a bridge too.

You know -- permanent if you don't get a transplant absolutely right that you can go on for many years.

With this now he was fortunate enough.

To get in the less than twenty wants have to go this surgery is surgery is very complicated because he already has had this device there's a lot of scar.

And and and adhesion is that they had to go through.

But him it's about six to eight hours.

He's going to stay in the hospital for about two weeks he's going to be on -- suppression lifetime to make sure that he has no rejections.

In being few days two weeks he's going to get a biopsy of this hard.

To make sure that there's no rejection what do they do they take a piece of the how they would take the bias of the -- to make sure that there's no rejection so this is a prolonged recovery.

But he I'm glad that he barely made it because that age is obviously do the critical.

That's my question doctor -- the prognosis -- cause.

If he had that device.

He had his original heart which we know has been through a lot of trauma with all the heart attacks.

What the surrounding tissue that the arteries and veins that go to the heart.

Can they support a new heart in a way that a 71 year old can have a good survival.

You know -- the answer here is the left ventricular assist device to talk about exciting medicine a recent study out of 2003 showed that this device has changed.

The new generation of this device now is not only a bridge to transplant but some people and even -- it and even Cheney was saying this last year himself.

Could be something you use for years instead of a transplant so probably it's capped his other organs in great shape which is really the key here.

So the device has changed he looked better -- before the chance transplant.

That improves his prognosis so put two more in this category that we like to look at where.

When your survival rate is over 85% five year survival rate is 75%.

The key here though is in the first as David said two weeks where his watch very carefully in the hospital.

Look for signs of infection look for possible blood -- bleeding once you get over that threshold and you're out of the hospital.

You have to consider the possibility of of rejection.

At about 50% of patients actually have some rejection but they end up getting over the U cycles foreign you've got to watch the kidneys very carefully.

And he's going to be on this lifetime every month for the first six months is -- -- get a biopsy that.

-- I understand -- -- want to ask questions -- but let me just ask you about what does he feel like this morning how different would he feel this morning from before the transplant that is such a great question and you know you know the answer is probably and we have to talk to him.

So many patients have said though.

I certainly feel.

-- food rejuvenated because parts of my body that weren't feeling.

The that they were getting blood before and now walk I feel more weight more alert I feel better well hello what about the 3100 herself.

People out there now we're waiting for very similar surgery and doctors money would we do.

As average people if we potentially can face this and what does this surgery mean for us.

Well fortunately out of those 3000 about 2000 of them are able to get the transparent.

And about 300 of them are -- stage of 65 so he's one of the lucky ones and there's a whole list.

Where whether you -- your status -- your finances has nothing to do with how you gonna get that transparency very fair and balance system.

And you won't have to wait for you turn he's lucky that he got that but the way he feels today after surgery.

He has a lot of pain this is a real operation he needs to go through the recovery because the -- is open -- put him on bypassed c.'s -- recovered from -- and it's easier.

I mean the next few days though he's going to be out of bed and and tabulated.

So this is a miracle and the fact that he was able to really go through this.

-- -- not to get a transplant speaks about the gift of life and the -- the fact that he's gonna move on and hopefully have a great but as mark mentioned.

Five years survival is about 70%.

At ten years is about 50% so that's really -- -- -- One thing to add to all of this is this something that -- compatibility HO a compatibility a lot depends on what exactly are they -- form we don't know that.

How compatible is now he doesn't even though he doesn't know where the donor came from that -- also according to studies predict how well he'll do in terms of rejection.

What's great it is actually wish he and his family all the nationally it's remarkable and our thoughts and prayers certainly with mr.

Cheney and his family as well as that that that.

Generous.

Donor and the donors -- -- -- they are asserting gifts they --

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