Organ Donation: Should Age Matter?

The article below is a very interesting read for the transplant community mainly because it touches on the controversy of receiving organs when you're over 65.  Dick Cheney was 71 when he had his heart transplant surgery Saturday morning & was likely in great shape after having the LVAD [mechanical device that assists the heart] for two years - probably in better shape than a patient younger than 71.  My dad, John, received his heart at the age of 68 & still lives an active life given his age of 83.  Proof that age should not be a detractor to those waiting for organs.

WASHINGTON — Former Vice President Dick Cheney had a heart transplant Saturday, after five heart attacks over the past 25 years and countless medical procedures to keep him going. Cheney, 71, waited nearly two years for his new heart, the gift of an unknown donor.

An aide to Cheney disclosed the surgery after it was over, and said the ex-vice president was recovering at a Virginia hospital.

"Although the former vice president and his family do not know the identity of the donor, they will be forever grateful for this lifesaving gift," aide Kara Ahern said in a written statement that was authenticated by several of the Republican politician's close associates.

Cheney was recovering Saturday night at the intensive care unit of Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church, Va., after surgery earlier in the day.

More than 3,100 Americans currently are on the national waiting list for a heart transplant. Just over 2,300 heart transplants were performed last year, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing. And 330 people died while waiting.

According to UNOS, 332 people over age 65 received a heart transplant last year. The majority of transplants occur in 50- to 64-year-olds.

The odds of survival are good. More than 70 percent of heart transplant recipients live at least five years, although survival is a bit lower for people over age 65.

Read the complete article from The Huffington Post Canada here

BY KASIE HUNT