heart transplants news stories on Newser

World's Smallest Artificial Heart Saves Baby's Life

Rob Quinn — Fri, 25 May 2012 02:54:57 CDT

A 16-month-old Italian baby is alive today thanks to an artificial heart that only weighs about as much as two nickels. Doctors in a Rome hospital used the artificial heart, the world's smallest, to keep the boy alive for 13 days until a heart could be found for a transplant,...

Can a New Heart Give You a New Personality?

Kate Schwartz — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 11:27:39 CDT

Dick Cheney officially has a new heart, and the jokes are rolling in (most recently, compliments of Jon Stewart ). No big surprise that many of them are of the "maybe he'll wake up a Democrat" ilk. Which leads Slate to ponder: "Could a heart transplant actually lead to a...

Was Dick Cheney Too Old for a Heart Transplant?

Matt Cantor — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 06:30:07 CDT

Heart transplant recipients of Dick Cheney's age—that would be 71—"don't generally do so well" after the surgery, a leading cardiologist tells USA Today —but the former VP is by no means the oldest patient to undergo the procedure, experts say. In this case, health trumps age: A younger...

Dick Cheney Has Heart Transplant

Sat, 24 Mar 2012 18:57:46 CDT

Dick Cheney had a heart transplant today and is recovering at a Virginia hospital, his office said. An aide to Cheney disclosed that the 71-year-old, who has had a long history of cardiovascular trouble, had been waiting for a transplant for more than 20 months. Cheney was recovering at the...

Transplant Team Dies in Helicopter Crash

Rob Quinn — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 00:01:00 CST

A heart surgeon and a transplant expert from the Mayo Clinic were killed along with the pilot when their helicopter crashed in northern Florida as they raced to pick up a heart for transplant. The team was on its way from Jacksonville to Gainesville when the helicopter crashed in a...

Man Gets Second Heart Implanted

Matt Cantor — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 12:13:05 CST

The Tin Man would be jealous: This Valentine’s Day, a 36-year-old man received a second heart—without giving up his first. Because Tyson Smith was too weak for a transplant, doctors simply installed a second heart in his chest and attached it to his own—a rare operation that was...

Dick Cheney Weighs Heart Transplant

Mary Papenfuss — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 01:20:00 CST

Former Vice President Dick Cheney needs a new heart and may soon join a transplant list, he revealed in his first interview since major surgery. He's suffering from "end-stage" heart disease and will make a decision soon whether or not to go ahead with a transplant. In the meantime, he's...

Deadly Carbon Monoxide May Also Be Good For You

Nick McMaster — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:45:31 CDT

Low-level doses of the deadly chemical carbon monoxide may actually have medical benefits, pioneering new research suggests. The research is preliminary, and no scientist denies the lethal results of CO poisoning. But studies in animals have found small, controlled doses of the gas can have benefits for organ transplantation and...

Japanese Law Prevents Boy's Life-Saving Transplant

Drew Nelles — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 16:35:00 CDT

A Japanese law prevents 11-year-old Hiroki Ando from receiving the heart he so desperately needs, CNN reports. Ando suffers from cardiomyopathy and will likely die—as his sister did 5 years ago—without a heart transplant. But the minimum age for organ donations in Japan is 15. "This stipulation has...