Arnold Schwarzenegger undergoes secret heart surgery as he shares health update

Arnold Schwarzenegger has told how he has had a pacemaker fitted after doctors found an irregular heartbeat.

The actor and former body builder says it means he has a “machine part” – just like his Terminator character – and says it means he will have to take a break from the gym. But despite the setback he has promised fans he will be back shooting the second season of his TV show soon.

Hollywood star Arnie, 76, said: "Last Monday, I had surgery to become a little bit more of a machine: I got a pacemaker. "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.

"So, since I know that going against my secretive instinct and being transparent helps people, what choice do I First of all, I want you to know I’m doing great!" Arnie said he was treated at the Cleveland Clinic and said he was advised to have the pacemaker after doctors detected an irregular heartbeat caused by scar tissue from his previous surgery.

Arnie had the surgery on his way home from a trip to the UK, and insisted he was able to work again just a few days later. He is due to film the second series of his TV show Fubar soon, where he plays a CIA agent nearing retirement. Speaking on his Arnold's Pump Club app, he said: "Monday, I went under and got my new machine part. Like I said, by Friday, I was out doing my normal environmental work, and nobody knew anything. I can’t do my serious training in the gym for a while, but I will be 100% ready for FUBAR next month(his TV show).

"I could have kept it a secret. But I know that we have more than 750,000 subscribers now and a lot of you are probably dealing with your health challenges. I want you to know you aren’t alone." Action-man Arnold, 76, has had three open heart surgeries in the past and even shared pictures from his hospital bed in 2020.

He explained: "My mom refused to have the valve replacement surgery. But back then, the only option was open-heart. Today, they’re replacing valves with non-invasive procedures where you can go home the same day. I had my valves replaced for the first time in 1997, which required open-heart surgery.

"They told me both valves would last 12 to 15 years. Dr. Starnes did a wonderful job, and they made it 21 years, so by the time I went in for replacement in 2018, the non-invasive option was available. Of course, you know that there was a little screwup at the hospital in Los Angeles, and my non-invasive surgery became open-heart. I told that story and shared footage here in this newsletter."

In an attempt to inspire his fans to look after their own health, he added: "If you’re putting something off out of fear, I hope I inspire you to listen to your doctors and take care of yourself. This village is a place for us to be open and honest because it’s impossible to be truly positive when 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 up the world. You are never alone here." Arnie is perhaps best known for his action films but also served as the 38th governor of California from 2003 to 2011

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