The ‘disaster’ heart surgery that nearly killed Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold Schwarzenegger crash: Emergency services respond

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During the surgery, known as a Ross Procedure, which had a 12 percent chance of failing according to Schwarzenegger, the surgeons attempted to swap his heart’s aortic valve with another heart valve.

“[The surgery] failed, and I started coughing and choking, and not getting any air, and there was fluid going in the lungs,” he told In Depth by Graham Bensinger.

At three in the morning, the star’s doctor approached Schwarzenegger and told him “the surgery failed” and that he would need to undergo another surgery, less than two hours later.

The atmosphere suddenly became a lot more serious, he recalled. When asked be the interviewer if he thought ‘this could be it’, he agreed.

Schwarzenegger added: “Now it gets very dangerous because to do two surgeries within 24 hours like that… First, they tell you there’s a 6 percent chance of failure that you wipe out, and now all of a sudden that doubles. There’s 12%.”

“It was a wild situation to be in, but being on the amount of drugs you’re under at that point, you really don’t care.

“It was an absolute disaster to be in.”

The second operation was successful and the star left the hospital.

But over the years, the star would undergo another two heart surgeries.

In 2018, he had open-heart surgery to replace the passage between the heart and the lungs which were blocked.

Moreover, in October 2020, he had to replace the aortic valve again through major surgery.

Since his ordeal with his heart, he has admitted he is on an “80%” vegan diet to look after his health.

He said that his cholesterol levels have dropped these days since he “rarely eats meat”.

“I have been about 80% plant-based for the past five years of my life,” he revealed to fans in a recent issue of his newsletter.

“My bad cholesterol number is so low that my doctor thought I might be a different person and feel healthier and younger overall.

According to the Mayo Clinic, aortic valve stenosis where the valve is narrowed can be prevented.

One of the ways to help prevent the condition is to address any blood pressure, obesity, or high cholesterol issues – as Schwarzenegger has attempted to do.

The condition can also be caused by rheumatic fever, which itself can be prevented by visiting your doctor if you have a sore throat.

The health body explains that an untreated sore throat can lead to rheumatic fever.

Lastly, it recommends that people take care of their teeth and gums because there “may be a link” between infected gums and infected heart tissue, which can further narrow arteries.

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