New Blog 1: Cheney Heart Transplant

Cheney Heart Transplant

Former Vice President Dick Cheney was recovering Saturday evening after undergoing heart transplant surgery, his office said. Cheney, 71, had surgery at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church, Virginia. He had been on the cardiac transplant list for more than 20 months, a statement from his office said."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," it said.Cheney has a history of heart trouble, suffering at least five heart attacks since 1978. His first occurred when he was 37.Several heart attacks, a bypass, a pump and now a heart transplant later, Dick Cheney is back in action.

The former vice president gave ABC News his first interview since a successful heart transplant four months ago. Before the operation, the 71-year-old looked in the mirror and saw himself close to death, he said.“Two years ago this time I was on a respirator, heavily sedated. Just had a pump… installed on my heart because my heart had gotten so weak after six heart attacks and 30-some years of heart disease that it was, you know, it was at the end," he said.After waiting nearly two years for the heart transplant, Cheney had the operation four months ago. The avid fly fisherman has already been back in the water."There's not been a single glitch, no sign of rejection, everything's just gone perfectly."Cheney does not know who donated the heart he received, since medical protocols keep that information confidential. There are, however, intermediaries who can reach out to a donor's family to see if they would be willing to meet recipients, and Cheney said he was "amenable" to making contact. If he does, he wants to express his gratitude for the generous gift he received.