The Peter Houghton legacy.

摘要

Peter Houghton died on November 25,2007 after 7.5 years of mechanical circulatory support. He was 68 years old. Peter had been diagnosed with idio-pathic dilated cardiomyopathy in March 1995 and had deteriorated progressively until medical management no longer controlled breathlessness, fatigue, or peripheral edema. The cardiologists proposed mitral valve repair, but this was rejected on grounds of operative risk. Transplant assessment then resulted in a negative outcome because of progressive deterioration in one functioning kidney. No one should underestimate the profound psychological trauma of being turned down for cardiac transplantation. A devout Catholic and psychologist, Peter had spent years counselling patients to face death and decided to prepare for his own.