Mr Tucker likely to be home today

Press, 21 November 1986, Page 8

Mr Tucker likely to be home today

PA Wellington A heart patient, Mr Des Tucker, will probably be able to leave hospital today after successful treatment of heart failure which he suffered last week, according to a cardiologist, Dr Richard Thompson. “He has improved quite a lot over the last 24 hours with additional medication. We are looking at discharging him tomorrow," Dr Thompson said. Earlier this week Dr Thompson described Mr Tucker’s condition as “part and parcel” of the natural history of the disease that saw Mr Tucker travel to Sydney

tor a heart transplant. Mr Tucker was put off the heart transplant waiting list — an unusual move — but Dr Thompson said that Mr Tucker might return for the operation. “We are taking the viewpoint that St Vincent’s (hospital) said they would take him back in the event of significant deterioration,” he said. Mr Tucker would be carefully monitored, and if his condition did worsen, St Vincent’s would be approached. Dr Thompson said Mr Tucker’s condition was “no better and perhaps a little worse than when he went to Sydney.”