Former Vice-President, McLean Neighbor Dick Cheney to Remain in ICU Following Heart Transplant

UPDATE: Former Vice president and McLean neighbor Dick Cheney is expected to spend several days in the intensive care unit of a nearby Virginia hospital after undergoing a heart transplant Saturday, according to Channel 5 Fox News.

He will then  remain in the hospital a while longer after that, Channel 5 reported in its 10 pm. news broadcast Saturday.

Cheney, who served as vice president to George W. Bush, has a long-history of heart ailments. An aide to Cheney disclosed that the 71-year-old had been waiting for a transplant for more than 20 months, the AP reported.

The former vice president suffered a heart attack in 2010, his fifth since the age of 37. That year, he had surgery to have a small pump installed to help his heart keep working. It was one of the few steps left, short of a transplant, to stay alive in the face of what he acknowledged was "increasing congestive heart failure," the AP reported.

USA TODAY reported that former president George W. Bush was in touch with the Cheney family Saturday, spokesman Freddy Ford said. "He and Mrs. Bush are thrilled that the surgery went well, and they are keeping VP Cheney in their prayers for a full and speedy recovery," Ford said.

USA TODAY further reported that 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.

Here is the statement issued by Cheney's office after the transplant operation, according to USA TODAY:

Former Vice President Dick Cheney is recovering in the Intensive Care Unit of Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church, VA, after undergoing heart transplant surgery on Saturday, March 24, 2012.

In 2010, Mr. Cheney had a Left Ventricular Assist Device implanted for treatment of end stage heart failure. The former Vice President has been on the cardiac transplant list for more than 20 months.

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.

Former Vice President Cheney is thankful to the teams of doctors and other medical professionals at Inova Fairfax and George Washington University Hospital for their continued outstanding care.

ORIGINAL STORY: Former Vice President Dick Cheney, who lives in McLean, had a heart transplant Saturday and is recovering at the Intensive Care Unit of Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church, Va., the Associated Press reported.

Cheney has a long-history of heart ailments. An aide to Cheney disclosed that the 71-year-old had been waiting for a transplant for more than 20 months, the AP reported.

The former vice president suffered a heart attack in 2010, his fifth since the age of 37. That year, he had surgery to have a small pump installed to help his heart keep working. It was one of the few steps left, short of a transplant, to stay alive in the face of what he acknowledged was "increasing congestive heart failure," the AP reported.

Cheney served as former President George W. Bush's vice president for eight years, from 2001 until 2009. He lived in McLean before becoming vice-president. He created the president's transition office in McLean in 2000.

He and his wife built a home in Langley Farms, one of McLean's best addresses, when the Bush Administration ended. Their house is nearly across the street from Hickory Hill, the former Kennedy estate.