2024-03-26 13:39:42
(CNN) — Arnold Schwarzenegger revealed that he underwent surgery last week to have a pacemaker inserted and that he is “doing very well.”
On Monday’s episode of his podcast “Arnold’s Pump Club,” the Hollywood actor and former governor of California said: “Last Monday I had surgery to get a pacemaker and I became a little more of a machine.”
Schwarzenegger said sharing the news “goes against a lot of my upbringing in Austria, where no one ever talked about medical issues. “Everything related to healthcare you kept to yourself.”
However, Schwarzenegger, 76, who said he was born with a bicuspid aortic valve – a congenital heart defect – said he has received many messages from people who were born with the same health problem “telling me to talk about my aortic replacement surgeries.” Valve has given them courage and hope to face theirs.”
“Because I know that going against my reserved instincts and being transparent helps people, it seems right to talk about this,” he added.
In 1997, Schwarzenegger underwent pulmonary valve replacement, which helps blood flow from the heart to the lungs.
In 2018, he underwent open-heart surgery to replace the aging pulmonary valve that had been inserted.
Two years later, he underwent surgery to replace his aortic valve, which helps blood flow from the heart to the rest of the body.
Schwarzenegger said doctors advised him it was time to move forward with this latest surgery “because scar tissue from my previous surgery had caused my heartbeat to be irregular. “It was like that for a few years.”
“I’m doing great. I had surgery on Monday and by Friday I was at a big environmental event with my friend and fellow fitness advocate Jane Fonda,” Schwarzenegger said.
“No one would have ever thought I started the week with surgery,” he said, thanking the medical team at the Cleveland Clinic.
He added that he has to have regular checkups and “that’s life with a genetic heart problem. But you won’t hear me complain.”
“I’m still here because of medical innovation and being very diligent about staying in touch with my doctors and listening to them,” he said.
The actor, who last year made his TV series debut in the 2023 Netflix action adventure “Fubar,” said: “I can’t do my serious training in the gym for a while, but I will be 100% ready to ‘Fubar’ next month.”
1711476104
#Arnold #Schwarzenegger #pacemaker #inserted #week