Arnold Schwarzenegger Recalled the Grim Moment in 2016 When He Had a ‘40% Survival Chance’ After Going Through a Surgery

Arnold Schwarzenegger is one of the greatest bodybuilders in the history of the sport. He is even credited with revolutionizing it. The 7X Mr. Olympia title winner has dazzled with various professions and managed to excel in most of them. However, on the health front, Arnold has not had it that easy.

Juggling so many successful endeavors must definitely be strenuous and did leave an impact on Arnold. Since the late 90s, Arnold has dealt with a series of cardiovascular issues. In 1997, he underwent surgery to replace his congenital aortic heart valve. This was followed by similar surgeries later in his life, which were also of life-threatening nature. 

It wasn’t the last time for Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold Schwarzenegger has inspired millions of people with his resilience and hard work. The way he came from nowhere and later assumed legendary status in various fields has been exceptional. It was during his stint as an actor that he was first diagnosed with a defective aortic heart valve.

While speaking to Graham Bensinger in 2016, he opened up about his heart surgery and its complications. In the interview, he revealed that the problem first surfaced around 1994. But he decided to postpone the surgery for two more years. Graham asked, “What was the risk involved in that? And what did the doctor come into your room and say at 3:00 a.m. the morning after surgery?“

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Arnold replied, “Well, because I got the Ross Procedure, which is where they take one of your own valves and put it in an aortic position. So the pulmonary valve is really normally not strong enough to take over the aortic position and that pressure, blood pressure so he was clear at that point there’s a 60% chance that it works and there’s a 40% chance it won’t work.”

The other two surgeries of Arnold

Unfortunately, 1997 wasn’t the only year Arnold had to go through heart surgery. He underwent two more surgeries in the years 2018 and 2020, respectively. Thankfully, the surgeries were follow-ups for the previous one. It is not uncommon for a valve replacement to wear off after 10-15 years. That’s the average span of the tissue valve. 

And the latest surgery, which was in 2020, was a re-replacement surgery of the valves from 2018. However, this time Arnold got a new valve with the SAVR (Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement) technique. He was pretty happy and even posted a picture with a thank you note to the doctors.

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Even though Arnold Schwarzenegger is extremely fit, this congenital defect of the heart valve has made him suffer. Sometimes it even went to a position where it seemed pretty hard for the doctors to make it work. But Arnold came out healthy every time. The Terminator’s zest for life and continuous effort in excelling in his career, despite the roadblocks, has been an inspiration to many.