Doctor says Cheney will have NO pulse!

[montanacowboy]

Dr on Rachel says Cheney's new device will render him without a pulse!!! at last, he is the walking dead

The device is also partially OUTSIDE the body, the battery pack protrudes from his stomach and he has to carry spare batteries with him and at night HE WILL BE HOOKED UP TO AN ELECTRICAL SOURCE (I.E., PLUGGED INTO THE WALL OR SOME GADDAM GADET)

Also, this is end of life for Cheney - really is desparate to stay alive to get this procedure done.

A walking no pulse battery driven zombie

Have a wonderful life you fucking asshole - so glad he has such good insurance that allows this prick to have the best there is till he finally croaks.

[Ruby the Liberal]

1. No pulse, like permanently?

I saw the diagrams, but was on the phone and missed the interview.

[Subdivisions]

2. Yes, permanently. Unless he has a transplant. n/t

[Ruby the Liberal]

7. I never knew such a thing was possible

I just made a note to check msnbc.com tomorrow for the clip.

'Cheney without a pulse' will become a staple for comediennes in 5... 4... 3...

[Subdivisions]

10. Rachel was telling the doc that this was indeed a weird way to learn

about this device and procedure.

As for the comedians, if they had the news in New York by show time, you can bet it'll be on Letterman. Leno will comment for sure.

[12string]

3. no pulse

I don't think he has a reflection when in front of a mirror either.

[TheCowsCameHome]

4. He can use the old jumper cable to "W's" brain

Recycle.

[Warpy]

5. That answers the only question I had

He's got a continuous flow pump that isn't dependent on his own heart rate. He might have a pulse, but it's going to be harder to find and count. His shriveled raisin of a heart will continue to beat (although in actual fact it's big, boggy, and baggy like overstretched elastic) and it will be detectable with a stethoscope and doppler on pulse points.

Personally, I can't think of a worse curse than the best medical care his stolen millions (and our money) can buy. He's going to spend the rest of his life in terror--of living and of dying.

[Ruby the Liberal]

8. What is the implication of this?

Am I to understand that his blood will circulate based on battery-powered pumps? I am medically ignorant - so sorry for the simplified followup Q, but how will oxygen be affected?

Not meaning to pick on you, but IIRC, you are/were in the medical field?

[Warpy]

12. I posted this site earlier today

http://my.clevelandclinic.org/heart/disorders/heartfailure/lvad_devices.aspx

It shows the two basic types of pumps and my only question was whether he had the older pulse pump, which runs on compressed air, or the newer continuous flow pump, which is battery/wall powered console only.

There are pictures of the controller. The batteries aren't huge and probably fit into a fanny pack, but he'll have to change them several times if he wants to go to a baseball game.

I was a nurse for 25 years. I saw the devices go from a large suitcase sized console on wheels to a smaller one that could be stashed in a backpack. They've improved considerably since then and are now offered to end stage congestive heart failure patients as well as to pre transplant patients.

On edit: he'll feel quite chipper compared to end stage failure and some body systems might start to self repair with increased perfusion/oxygen transport. I doubt he'll make it to trial, something that will take at least a decade, but we can all hope.

[Ruby the Liberal]

16. Thanks for educating me (us) about this!

[annabanana]

11. No worse curse than the "best" in end of life procedures.

You have put your finger right on it.

[malaise]

14. You got that right

The fucker is terrified of death and that's enough for me. He doesn't even have the dignity to die - this is his last deferral. They were so afraid this time that they hid the information from the public.

[KansDem]

6. self delete

[Jkid]

9. Wait until 4chan's /new/ finds out about this.

I sense a new catchphrase with it.

[tritsofme]

13. Never heard of this device before, from it's Wikipedia page it sounds more common than this guy

suggests. Interesting http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left_Ventricular_Assist_Device">article



A Ventricular assist device, or VAD, is a mechanical circulatory device that is used to partially or completely replace the function of a failing heart. Some VADs are intended for short term use, typically for patients recovering from heart attacks or heart surgery, while others are intended for long term use (months to years and in some cases for life), typically for patients suffering from congestive heart failure.

VADs need to be clearly distinguished from artificial hearts, which are designed to completely take over cardiac function and generally require the removal of the patient's heart.

VADs are designed to assist either the right (RVAD) or left (LVAD) ventricle, or both at once (BiVAD). Which of these types is used depends primarily on the underlying heart disease and the pulmonary arterial resistance that determines the load on the right ventricle.

LVADs are most commonly used, but when pulmonary arterial resistance is high, right ventricular assistance becomes necessary. Long term VADs are normally used to keep patients alive with a good quality of life while they wait for a heart transplantation (known as a "bridge to transplantation"). However, LVADs are sometimes used as destination therapy and sometimes as a bridge to recovery.<1><2>

In the last few years, VADs have improved significantly in terms of providing survival and quality of life among recipients.<3>

<SNIP>

As of July 2007, 69 year old Peter Houghton was the longest surviving recipient of a VAD for permanent use. He received an experimental Jarvik 2000 LVAD in June 2000. Since then, he completed a 91 mile charity walk, published two books, lectured widely, hiked in the Swiss Alps and the American West, flew in an ultra-light aircraft, and traveled extensively around the world. He died of acute renal failure in 2007.<30><31>

VADs not only extend the quantity of life, but also the quality of life. People who have had VADs implanted have had lower rates of depression than those people suffering from cardiac disease that have not undergone implantation surgery.

In a small number of cases left ventricular assist devices, combined with drug therapy, have enabled the heart to recover sufficiently for the device to be able to be removed (explanted).<1><2>

The majority of VADs on the market today are somewhat bulky. The smallest device approved by the FDA, the HeartMate II, weighs about 1 pound (0.45 kg) and measures 3 inches (7.6 cm). This has proven particularly important for women and children, for whom alternatives would have been too large<32>

[roamer65]

15. Truth finally comes out.

He had no pulse years ago.