What is the life expectency of a 51 year old male with mild heart failure?

My dad had heart attack and quadruple bypass surgury at the young age of 42. Nine years later, on his 51st birthday (yesterday), he went to the doctor's office because of swelling in his ankles and shortness of breath. They told him that he has mild heart failure. I am a law student and the words "heart" and "failure" sound quite bad to me. I have researched some info on MHF and found that the average life expectency is ten years. Can someone give me a guess at what I can expect him to live. Also, he is having a heart cath. this Friday in a hospital that is not equipped for emergency heart surgury in the terrible event that it is needed. Should I talk to my parents about having the heart cath. switched to a capable hospital? Any answers about this disease would be greatly appreciated. Here are some stats on my dad:
42 years - quadruple bypass (overweight)
Significant weight loss and walks routinely since surgury
Does NOT smoke
Drinks very little
51 - diagnosed with MHF

Just found out from the heart cath. that 2 of the 4 bypass grafts have failed. Doctor said that there was nothing we could do but change the eating habits. I am having a hard time talking my parents into getting a second opinion. Please, any additional information appreciated!

Jm- im sorry your dad is having such bad problems with his health. you really cant put a timeline on his life expectancy. it IS very good that he doesnt smoke at all--and drinks very little. and you said he has lost alot of weight and walks --which is really good--he needs to keep his heart strong.

my grandpa had a pacemaker, and heart failure for the last 20+ years of his life.. and he lived to be 73. so you really cant guess as to how long he might live. his legs were swollen (he had to wear TED hose) and kept his feet elevated when sitting because they would balloon.

i wouldnt switch hospitals. every hospital is equipped with crash carts, emergency medications and tools to use in case something went wrong. i have seen a few cardiac caths done, and they went fine.
opening his chest for full emergency heart surgery if the cath procedure went wrong--well there isnt much they can do with the heart once they open the chest besides cardiac massage or repairing torn arteries, veins etc. they can do most of that by shocking him back into a normal rhythm and through drugs (not opening him up).
there is a very minute chance they would open his chest due to a cath--i have never seen it done.
just try to stay calm, and be there for him. the procedure will be a little uncomfortable for him (it does hurt) no matter how drugged he is.
best of luck to you, and your family through this. dont set it in your mind that he will die in 10 years--because he may last much much longer.
my way of thinking is that no one is guaranteed to live a long life no matter how good of health you are in--i was a paramedic for years and im acutely aware of just how precious life really is--that you could be talking one minute and gone a few minutes later. life is fragile, and most ppl take it for granted.

just be there for your dad--it will mean more to him than you know.

Depends on the underlying disease and how long it has gone on, before the surgery and his improved habits. Good question to ask his doctor.

Generally,
people can live many years, even decades, after being diagnosed with heart failure.
The trick is to maintain a salt-free diet, check weight every day or two (to catch fluid retention), eat a good heart-healthy diet, and exercise as tolerated (walking or whatever the doc approves such as swimming).

The word "failure" does not mean the heart is failing altogether; but it means the pumping action is not up to par. Symptoms can be controlled, usually by medicines.

As for getting a heart cath in a hospital that does not do cardiac surgery, i wouldn't want my Dad to have it there....
I am a nurse who did cardiac surgery recovery in 3 of the U.S. states. It's just common sense and used to be routine that cardiac cath was only done in hospitals that could do emergency heart surgery.
Now there is a trend toward doing cath at other hospitals, since the procedure is relatively common and safe. (But, see what i said above)