I was surprised that he was able to have this procedure done because he is 71 years old. I also wondered if he was given preferential treatment with regards to the waiting period. I did some research and this is what I found:
Analysis: Cheney waited longer than average for heart transplant
At 71, former Vice President Dick Cheney was older than average for a heart transplant and had to wait longer than the typical patient as well -- 20 months compared with a year or less.
The fact that he was still able to receive a donor heart after surviving five heart attacks shows he must have been in excellent health, doctors said on Sunday.
They also pointed to advances in care that have made it possible for older patients to still be good transplant candidates. Cheney is recovering at a Washington-area hospital after undergoing the surgery on Saturday.
Hospitals have traditionally set 65 as the upper limit for heart transplant. But older patients increasingly are getting them, and there is no absolute cut-off age.
Analysis: Cheney waited longer than average for heart transplant | Reuters
Doe not sound as though he was given any preferential treatment.