Arnold Schwarzenegger offers health update after heart surgery
Action star Arnold Schwarzenegger has given fans a health update after having a pacemaker fitted.
The Austrian former bodybuilder was born with a bicuspid aortic valve, an aortic valve with only two leaflets, whereas a typical aortic valve has three. In 1997, he had a replacement heart valve made from his pulmonic valve, which was then replaced by a cadaveric pulmonic valve in a Ross procedure. Reportedly, doctors predicted he would need further surgery on his heart within the following eight years due to the valve degrading.
At the time, the Terminator star opted against having a mechanical valve fitted, which was the only permanent one available then, because it would have restricted his capacity to exercise and general physicality, two critical parts of his being.
Years later, in 2018, Schwarzenegger received open-heart surgery to replace his pulmonic valve and admitted frustration at the extended and arduous recovery process. Following this, in 2020, he had another surgery fitting a new aortic valve.
Now, the actor has undergone surgery on his heart once again, commenting that he now has a “machine part” like his character T-800 in the Terminator franchise. He revealed all in the latest episode of his podcast, Arnold’s Pump Club, stating that he has had a pacemaker fitted and will be taking a break from the gym.
The former Governor of California explained on his podcast Arnold’s Pump Club: “Last Monday, I had surgery to become a little bit more of a machine: I got a pacemaker.”
He continued: “I have to tell you, just saying this to all of you goes against so much of my upbringing in Austria, where nobody — ever — talked about medical issues. Everything related to healthcare was kept to yourself.”
Schwarzenegger stated that he has received many messages from people who were also born with bicuspid aortic valves, telling him that by discussing his ordeal, he has given them the courage to fix their issues.
The Terminator star also reassured fans that he is “doing great,” and was right back to being busy following the procedure: “I had my surgery on Monday, and by Friday, I was already at a big environmental event with my friend and fellow fitness crusader Jane Fonda… Nobody would ever have thought I started the week with a surgery.”
Schwarzenegger thanked the team at the Cleveland Clinic, who took “amazing care” of him and made the surgery as straightforward as possible. He revealed that a bit of scar tissue from his previous operation had made his heartbeat irregular, meaning that he needed to go under the knife once more to fit the pacemaker.
While the actor can’t do any “serious” gym work for a while, Schwarzenegger maintains that he is happy he shared his story, reassuring people with their own health challenges that they aren’t alone. He concluded by advising people to be brave, listen to doctors, and, most importantly, look after themselves.
In other Schwarzenegger news, late last year, he claimed he’d make a “great president” when discussing why he’s not allowed to run for the Oval Office and the potential future election between President Joe Biden and Donald Trump.
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