Former Vice President Dick Cheney was released from a Virginia hospital today after receiving a heart transplant 10 days ago, according to a statement from his spokeswoman. His eldest daughter, Liz, tweeted the above picture of her dad and her mom, Lynne, captioned with one simple word: “Home.”
The 71-year-old, who’s had a long history of cardiovascular trouble, received the heart from an anonymous donor after being on a cardiac transplant list for more than 20 months. He suffered the first of five heart attacks at the ripe age of 37.
In July 2010, Cheney had a left ventricular assist device — a small battery-powered pump — implanted to help keep his weakened heart beating while awaiting a transplant. His doctor, Jonathan S. Reiner, told the New York Times that he was living successfully with the mechanical device and there was no immediate reason to decide on a transplant, though other factors helped Cheney make the decision, like the risk of infection and stroke.









