Arnold Schwarzenegger Reveals He Has Undergone A Major Medical Procedure

“Terminator” actor Arnold Schwarzenegger can now officially say that he is part man, and part machine.

The 76-year-old champion bodybuilder was outfitted with a pacemaker following three open-heart surgeries to correct an aortic valve he received in 2020. Joking that he has become “a little bit more of a machine” and will have to take a break from the gym, Schwarzenegger credited his doctors with encouraging him to go public about his new pacemaker.

“Last Monday, I had surgery to become a little bit more of a machine: I got a pacemaker,” he said on his podcast, “Arnold’s Pump Club,” according to 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.”

From posting photos in his hospital bed to attending a public ceremony with environmental icon and actress Jane Fonda just four days later, the former Mr. Universe projected a sunny optimism about his condition and reminded his followers to avoid skipping regular checkups with their doctors.

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“So, since I know that going against my secretive instinct and being transparent helps people, what choice do I have?” he asked himself.

“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 previously had a pulmonary valve replaced and underwent heart surgery back in 1997, the first in a series of procedures meant to give the bodybuilder-turned-actor a new lease on life as he battles back a genetic condition he inherited.

“That’s life with a genetic heart issue. But you won’t hear me complaining,” he added.