It can be known as a killer robot. But in real life, he’s just a human being.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, the 73-year-old actor and former Republican governor of California, revealed on social media on Thursday that he had undergone heart surgery.
In the post, which was shared on Instagram and Twitter, Schwarzenegger said he had his aortic valve replaced at Cleveland Clinic Medical Center in Ohio.
A faulty aortic valve is not something you want to have, as it helps blood flow from the heart to the rest of the body. It can also cause aortic stenosis and is more common with age. Others, like Schwarzenegger, have lifelong heart problems due to a birth defect.
Schwarzenegger said he already felt better.
“I feel fantastic and have walked the streets of Cleveland before enjoying its amazing statues,” he wrote on Instagram. “Thank you to all the doctors and nurses on my team! ” he added.
This isn’t Schwarzenegger’s first heart operation
Schwarzenegger underwent open-heart surgery two years ago to replace a pulmonary valve, following a previous pulmonary valve replacement in 1997.
“Governor Schwarzenegger’s pulmonary valve was successfully replaced and he is currently recovering from surgery and is in stable condition,” Schwarzenegger spokesman Daniel Ketchell tweeted in 2018.
The pulmonary valve helps blood flow from the heart to the lungs. Problems with this valve can lead to pulmonary valve stenosis and pulmonary valve regurgitation.
Schwarzenegger is not the first politician to struggle with heart problems, and the problem does not cross party lines. President Donald Trump’s medical records revealed he had a common form of heart disease in 2018, while former presidential hopeful and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders suffered a heart attack in 2019.
