Dick Cheney Undergoes Heart Transplant

An "unknown donor" presented former Dick Cheney with the gift of life Saturday, when surgeons at a Virginia hospital performed a heart transplant on the former vice president.

Cheney, 71, had suffered five heart attacks over the past 25 years. He waited nearly two years for his new heart and is said to be recovering well in the intensive care unit of Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church, Va.

According to an Associated Press story Saturday night, Cheney's aide, Kara Ahern, said in a written statement that was authenticated by several of his close associates, "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."

The odds of survival are good. More than 70 percent of heart transplant recipients live at least five years, although survival is a bit lower for people over age 65.