Matt Millen reportedly undergoes successful heart transplant surgery

Longtime NFL and current Big Ten Network analyst Matt Millen reportedly underwent a successful heart transplant surgery this morning.

Millen has been battling a rare disease, amyloidosis, which causes a protein buildup in organs to the point of failure. The disease had affected Millen’s heart, to the point that he’d had to step away from broadcasting earlier this fall.

The most recent update made it clear that time was short, which is why it was so good to see NBC’s Peter King report this morning that Millen had not only found a match, but had undergone a successful transplant procedure.

First, a Christmas Eve bulletin: Matt Millen, the Super Bowl winner and former Lions GM and longtime TV voice, was scheduled to be wheeled into surgery early this morning in New Jersey to undergo a heart transplant. After waiting three months for a match in Newark Beth Israel Hospital, Millen, 60, who has a rare disease that attacks the lining of the heart, was told Sunday afternoon that a match had been found.

I called, and Millen said he was scheduled to undergo the transplant at 1 a.m. Monday. The surgery would take, if a normal one, between four and six hours. Quite a Christmas Eve gift for Millen, his wife Pat and their family.

Update, 8:11 a.m.: Millen is out of surgery. He’ll be in recovery until late this afternoon. In a text from the hospital, Millen’s wife Pat said: “Doctors said the heart was a perfect match and he is doing well. The surgery went smoothly.”

This is obviously good news. Hopefully Millen has a successful and quick recovery.

[NBC]