Arnold Schwarzenegger had a pacemaker implanted last Monday after undergoing three major heart procedures.

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.

In his latest podcast, Arnold’s Pump Club, he revealed that he recently underwent surgery for a pacemaker to enhance his physical capabilities.

‘I have to tell you, just stating this to all of you contradicts so much of my upbringing in Austria, where no one ever discussed medical matters. Everything about healthcare was kept to oneself.

‘But I’ve received numerous comments and emails from others who, like me, were born with a bicuspid aortic valve, informing me that discussing my valve replacement surgery has given them strength and hope to face their own.

Arnold Schwarzenegger, 76, (left) has revealed he had a pacemaker last Monday  – he attended this environmental event just four days later alongside Jane Fonda and was feeling well

Action-man Arnold has undergone three open heart operations and released this picture from his hospital bed in 2020.

‘So, if I know that going against my secretive instincts and being honest benefits people, what option do I have?’

Arnold told his admirers that he is recovering well, adding, “First and foremost, I want you to know I’m doing great!”

‘I underwent surgery on Monday, and by Friday, I was already at a major environmental event with my friend and fellow fitness advocate Jane Fonda.

‘By the way, when we talk about exercise being the only miracle medication to reduce aging, consider Jane. She’s ten years older than me and will reach 87 this year!

‘No one would have guessed I started the week with surgery.

I’d like to thank my entire Cleveland Clinic team. All of the doctors and nurses took excellent care of me and made the surgery as comfortable as possible.

He went on to say, “They also advised me that it was time to go through with this because some scar tissue from my previous surgery had caused my heartbeat to be irregular.”

‘It had been like that for a few years, so I kept in touch with my medical team and made in-person visits at least once a year to have a comprehensive check-up and see how my heart was doing.

The 76-year-old said he now has a ‘machine part’, just like his Terminator character

 

The movie star has said he will have to take a break from the gym while he continues to recover

Austrian Bodybuilder Arnold pictured lifting weights at Muscle Beach in Venice in August 1977 in Los Angeles, California

He admitted: ‘Man, if I can be honest with you, I struggled with those 16-hour days at the Arnold Sports Festival US at the beginning of March and in the UK last week, visiting as many sports as possible and walking through those crowds of hundreds of thousands of fitness fanatics’.

‘That’s life with an inherited heart condition. But you will not hear me whine.

Arnold underwent aortic valve replacement in Cleveland, Ohio in 2020, after receiving a new pulmonary valve in April 2018 in Los Angeles.

In 1997, he had elective cardiac surgery to replace a faulty, congenital aortic heart valve.

When the aortic valve fails, ‘it can interfere with blood flow and require the heart to work harder to send blood to the rest of the body’.

According to webmd, ‘Aortic valve repair and replacement are treatments that address disorders affecting the aortic valve, one of four valves that govern blood flow through the heart.’

According to the website, the aortic valve helps keep blood flowing in the proper direction via the heart.

It separates the main pumping chamber of the heart (the left ventricle) from the main artery that supplies oxygen-rich blood to your body (the aorta), according to WebMD.

Arnold expressed gratitude, saying, ‘My mother and her mother’s bicuspid valves killed them. [His mother, Aurelia, died in 1998]. I’m still alive thanks to medical advancements and my continuous efforts to communicate with and listen to my doctors.

My mother declined to have the valve replacement procedure. However, at the time, open-heart surgery was the only choice. Today, they are replacing valves with non-invasive procedures that allow you to return home the same day.

I had my valves changed for the first time in 1997, which necessitated open heart surgery. They informed me that both valves will last 12 to 15 years. Dr. Starnes conducted an excellent work, and they lasted 21 years, so when I went in for replacement in 2018, the non-invasive alternative was available.

‘Of course, you are aware that there was a minor hiccup at the hospital in Los Angeles, and my non-invasive procedure became open-heart. I narrated that story and included footage in this newsletter.

He added: ‘They only changed one of the two valves, so I went to the Cleveland Clinic in 2020 to replace the other. This time, the non-invasive Transcatheter valve replacement was successful!

‘But with all of those surgeries, my physicians told me it was more vital than ever to remain on top of things, so I checked in all the time and shared heart rate data from home. We knew the heartbeat was erratic, so my excellent team kept a close eye on it.

They said they’d let me know when it was time for a pacemaker. I went in for my regular checkup at the beginning of March on my way to the Arnold Sports Festival, and they performed a full battery of testing. When I returned to Los Angeles, I was conversing with one of my best friends, as if by fate.

‘They told me they had a pacemaker implanted, they recovered quickly, and their energy levels had returned to normal.

‘That’s one thing you learn about having an irregular heartbeat: all of the extra work your heart does exhausts you.

‘Man, to be honest, I suffered with those 16-hour days at the Arnold Sports Festival in the United States in early March and in the United Kingdom last week, seeing as many sports as possible and walking through throngs of hundreds of thousands of fitness fans.

‘The same day I spoke with my friend, one of my doctors contacted to advise me that after reviewing all of my results and data, and knowing I had six weeks till filming FUBAR Season 2, it was time to go for it. The physicians informed me that they wanted many more seasons of FUBAR, and this was the best way to do that!

I told them I’d stop in Cleveland on my way back from the UK, and we’d do it. Monday, I went under and had my new machine part fitted.

Arnold said: ‘My mother and her mother’s bicuspid valves killed them. I’m still here because of medical innovation and being very diligent about staying in touch with my doctors and listening to them’ (pictured with his mother Aurelia in 1990)

He stated: ‘I can’t do my hard training at the gym for a bit, but I will be 100% ready for FUBAR next month.’

‘As I have stated, by Friday, I was out doing my typical environmental duties, and no one knew anything. I won’t be able to do any serious gym training for a while, but I’ll be fully prepared for FUBAR next month!

I could have kept it a secret. But I know we now have over 750,000 subscribers (775,000 to be exact – the village has grown into a metropolis!), and many of you are most likely coping with your own health issues.

I want you to know you’re not alone.

‘And if you’re putting things off due to fear, I hope I’ve inspired you to listen to your physicians and take care of yourself.

‘This village is a place where we can be open and honest since it’s impossible to be truly positive when everything is pent up.

That’s what Arnold’s Pump Club is all about. There are certain weights that none of us can lift alone.

‘But united, we can lift anything—we can lift the globe. You’re never alone here.