Arnold Schwarzenegger Opens Up About His Latest Heart Surgery

In rare candid moment, Arnold Schwarzenegger opened up about the latest procedure to treat his bicuspid aortic valve, a genetic condition that he was born with. In speaking out about his surgery, Schwarzenegger said that he hoped to help others who were suffering from the same affliction.

"Last Monday, I had surgery for a pacemaker and become a little bit more of a machine," the 76-year-old told listeners on the March 25 episode of his Arnold’s Pump Club podcast. "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 continued. "But I’ve gotten so many messages and emails from people who were born with a bicuspid aortic valve, like me, telling me that talking about my valve replacement surgeries has given them courage and hope to deal with their own."

As such, he said that it only felt right to go against his "secretive instinct" if talking about his condition could help people.

"First of all, I want you to know I’m doing great. 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," Schwarzenegger recalled. "By the way—when we talk about exercise being the only magic pill to slow down aging—look at Jane. She’s 10 years older than me, turning 87 this year and she's healthy and looks fantastic."

"Nobody would have ever thought I started the week with a surgery," FUBAR star said, thanking his medical team at the Cleveland Clinic for taking care of him and making the surgery as painless as possible. He explained that his doctors advised him that it was time for him to go forward with the surgery due to some scar tissue from his previous surgery that was making his heartbeat irregular.

"It had been like that for a few years, so I stayed in touch with my medical team and visited in person at least once a year to get a full checkup and see how my heart was doing," he continued. That's life with a genetic heart issue, but you won't hear me complaining.

Schwarzenegger said that the condition had killed both his mother and grandmother, and that his mother had refused valve replacement surgery because at the time, open heart surgery was the only option. Today, doctors are able to replace valves with non-invasive procedures that allow you to go home the same day.

Whereas his first procedure in 1997 and second in 2018 both required open heart surgery, he emphasized how quickly he was back on his feet this time. "I can't do my serious training in the gym for awhile, but I will be 100 percent for FUBAR next month," he added.