“Terminator” icon Arnold Schwarzenegger can now claim the title of part-man, part-machine.
The 76-year-old former bodybuilding champion underwent surgery for a pacemaker installation after enduring three open-heart surgeries to address an aortic valve issue he received treatment for in 2020. In a light-hearted tone, Schwarzenegger quipped about becoming “a little bit more of a machine” and announced a temporary gym hiatus, giving credit to his doctors for encouraging him to share news of his new pacemaker.
“Last Monday, I had surgery to become a little bit more of a machine: I got a pacemaker,” he disclosed on his podcast, “Arnold’s Pump Club,” as reported by the Daily Mail.
“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. 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.”
Arnold, known for his action-packed roles, has undergone three open-heart surgeries previously and shared this hospital bed photo in 2020
From sharing snapshots from his hospital bed to appearing at a public event alongside environmental advocate and actress Jane Fonda just four days later, the former Mr. Universe radiated optimism regarding his health condition and advised his followers not to neglect regular medical checkups.
“So, since I know that going against my secretive instinct and being transparent helps people, what choice do I have?” he pondered.
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“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. By the way, when we talk about exercise being the only magic pill to slow down aging, look at Jane. She’s ten years older than me, turning 87 this year!
“Nobody would ever have thought I started the week with a surgery. I want to thank my whole team at the Cleveland Clinic. All of the doctors and nurses took amazing care of me and made the surgery as painless as possible,” Schwarzenegger added, explaining why physicians were so adamant that he come in for the procedure immediately.
“They also advised me that it was time to go through with this because some scar tissue from my previous surgery had made my 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 check-up and see how my heart was doing.”
Schwarzenegger had previously undergone a pulmonary valve replacement and heart surgery back in 1997, the initial steps in a series of interventions aimed at providing the bodybuilder-turned-actor with a new lease on life as he combats a genetic heart condition.
“That’s life with a genetic heart issue. But you won’t hear me complaining,” he concluded.