Arnold Schwarzenegger disclosed on his Arnold's Pump Club podcast that he had pacemaker surgery. The 76-year-old actor and former governor of California spoke about his road to recovery, highlighting his encouraging advancements after three prior open-heart surgeries.
"I had surgery to become a little bit more of a machine: I got a pacemaker," Schwarzenegger said, displaying his fortitude by showing up to an important environmental event a few days after the operation last Monday. He thanked his Cleveland Clinic doctors for their excellent medical treatment throughout the surgery, per USA Today.
The first heart surgery Schwarzenegger had was in 1997 when he had his aortic and pulmonic valves replaced. The expected lifespan of these valve replacements was 12 to 15 years each. More surgeries in 2018 and 2020 were necessary due to scar tissue from earlier procedures, resulting in an erratic heartbeat that required close monitoring.
When Schwarzenegger had a normal check-up in March, extensive testing was performed in advance of his participation in the Arnold Sports Festival, demonstrating his commitment to his health.
Terminator Shows His Brave Heart
In the podcast, Arnold Schwarzenegger divulged his health struggles, which "goes against" Austrian culture. He advised people not to postpone getting medical treatment due to fear, saying that both his mother and grandmother died from bicuspid aortic valve issues.
Schwarzenegger noted that he had the option of keeping his operation a secret. But, given his 750,000 podcast followers, the seven-time Mr. Olympia chose to be transparent about his medical issues and recognized its positive effect his transparency had on those facing comparable struggles.
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Moreover, the actor, widely known for his multiple blockbuster action movies in the 80s and 90s including "Terminator," "Predator," and "True Lies," emphasized the importance of unity and the collective strength present in Arnold's Pump Club. "There are weights that none of us can lift alone. But together, we can lift anything - we can lift up the world," per The Straits Times.
(Photo : JOHANN GRODER/APA/EXPA/AFP via Getty Images)
US-Austrian actor and former Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger poses during the event "Special Dinner for Climate Action" on the byline of the FIS ski alpine world cup in Kitzbuehel, Austria on January 18, 2024.
Upcoming Projects
The iconic action star also joked that his physician's advice to implant a pacemaker would ensure "many more seasons" of his Netflix series "Fubar." The week after the operation, Schwarzenegger resumed his regular activities, keeping them under wraps and away from the public eye, despite receiving instructions to temporarily abstain from intense gym sessions. He gave followers hope by saying he would be "100 percent ready" to shoot "Fubar" the next month, according to People.
Recently, CNN reported that Arnold Schwarzenegger is going to return to the big screen with Danny DeVito.
DeVito said he had been friends with Schwarzenegger for a very long time, which predates their well-known roles in "Twins," their first movie project in 1988.
The two surprised everyone at the Oscars, reminiscing their roles as "Batman" villains in a funny segment. According to DeVito, they kept the reunion a secret until the big day because they wanted to experience the element of surprise and the enthusiastic response they got.
According to DeVito, the screenplay for his next project with Arnold Schwarzenegger is being written. He was excited about the project and said he was looking forward to working with everyone on screen again.
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