Arnold Schwarzenegger has revealed he has been fitted with a pacemaker after three open heart surgeries.
The 76-year-old said he now has a ‘machine part’ just like his Terminator character – and has said he will have to take a break from the gym.
He said that in his podcast Arnold’s Pump Clubreleased on Monday: ‘Last Monday I had surgery to become a little more of a machine: I got a pacemaker.
“I have to tell you that saying this to all of you goes against much of my upbringing in Austria, where no one – ever – talked about medical issues. You kept everything that had to do with healthcare to yourself.
‘But I have received so many messages and emails from people born with a bicuspid aortic valve, like me, who tell me that talking about my valve replacement surgeries has given them courage and hope to deal with their own surgeries.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, 76, (left) revealed he received a pacemaker last Monday after undergoing heart valve surgery last year – he attended the event four days later with Jane Fonda looking and feeling great
“So, since I know that going against my secretive instincts and being transparent helps people, what choice do I have?”
Arnold assured his fans that he is recovering well.
He said, “First of all, I want you to know that I’m doing great!
‘I had surgery on Monday and on Friday I was already at a big environmental event with my friend and fellow fitness crusader Jane Fonda.
“By the way, when we talk about exercise as the one magic pill to slow aging, look at Jane. She is ten years older than me and will be 87 this year!
‘No one ever thought I would start the week with an operation.
“I want to thank my entire team at the Cleveland Clinic. All the doctors and nurses took great care of me and made the surgery as painless as possible.
He continued; ‘They also told me it was time to continue with this as scar tissue from my previous surgery had made my heartbeat irregular. It had been that way for a few years, so I stayed in touch with my medical team and visited in person at least once a year for a full check-up and to see how my heart was doing.
Action man Arnold has undergone three open heart surgeries in the past and shared this photo from his hospital bed in 2020
‘That’s life with a genetic heart problem. But you won’t hear me complaining. My mother and her mother’s bicuspid valves killed them. I’m still here because of medical innovation and because I am very diligent about staying in touch with my doctors and listening to them.
‘My mother refused to have the valve replacement surgery. But then the only option was an open heart. Nowadays they replace valves with non-invasive procedures that allow you to go home the same day.
‘In 1997 I had my valves replaced for the first time, which required open heart surgery. They told me both valves would last 12 to 15 years. Dr. Starnes did a fantastic job and they lasted 21 years, so by the time I went for a replacement in 2018, the non-invasive option was available. Of course, you know that there was a small mistake at the hospital in Los Angeles, and my non-invasive surgery became frank. I told that story and shared footage here in this newsletter.
“They only replaced one of the two valves, so I went to the Cleveland Clinic in 2020 and did the other one. This time the non-invasive Transcatheter Valve Replacement worked!
“But with all those surgeries, my doctors told me it was more important than ever to stay informed about the situation, and I checked in all the time and shared heart rate information from home. We knew the heartbeat was irregular, and my amazing team was watching it like a hawk.
‘They told me they would let me know when it was time for a pacemaker. I went in for my normal checkup in early March on the way to the Arnold Sports Festival, and they did a full battery of tests. When I got home to LA, as if it were fate, I talked to one of my best friends.
‘They told me they had a pacemaker implanted, the recovery was quick and their energy levels were back to what they were used to.
“That’s one thing you learn about an irregular heartbeat: All that extra work your heart does exhausts you.” Man, if I can be honest with you, I struggled with those 16 hour days at the Arnold Sports Festival US in early March and last week in the UK, attending as many sports as possible and walking through crowds of hundreds of people. thousands of fitness fanatics.
‘The same day I spoke to my boyfriend, one of my doctors called to tell me that after looking at all my results and data and knowing I had six weeks before it was time to film FUBAR Season 2, it was time to go for It. The doctors told me they wanted many more seasons of FUBAR, and this was the best way!
“I told them I was going to stop in Cleveland on the way home from Britain, and we would do it.
‘On Monday I went down and had my new machine part installed.
“Like I said, I was doing my normal environmental work on Friday, and no one knew anything. I can’t train seriously in the gym for a while, but next month I will be 100% ready for FUBAR!
‘I could have kept it a secret. But I know we now have over 750,000 subscribers (775,000 to be exact – the village is now a city!), and many of you are probably dealing with your own health issues.
‘I want you to know that you are not alone.
“And if you’re putting something off out of fear, I hope I inspire you to listen to your doctors and take care of yourself.
‘For us, this village is a place where we can be open and honest, because it is impossible to be truly positive if you keep everything bottled up.
“That’s what Arnold’s Pump Club is all about. There are weights that none of us can lift alone.
“But together we can lift anything – we can lift the world. You are never alone here.’
