By Mark Gray
7:31pm PDT, Mar 27, 2024
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It turns out that Arnold Schwarzenegger is part "machine" after all. The "Terminator" star has revealed he recently underwent surgery to get fitted for a pacemaker — and he's "doing great." On March 25, the former governor of California detailed his health situation on his Arnold's Pump Club podcast.
"Last Monday, I had surgery to become a little bit more of a machine: I got a pacemaker," he said. "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."
Still, Arnold wanted to be transparent since he has so many fans concerned about his well-being.
Keep reading for more on Arnold's procedure…
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Arnold Schwarzenegger was actually out and about just days after getting his pacemaker.
"First of all, I want you to know I'm doing great!" he said on his March 25 podcast. "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 10 years older than me, turning 87 this year!"
Just last week, the action star championed a California bill that creates a 3,200-foot barrier between new oil drilling and most neighborhoods. The law currently exists, but oil companies want voters to overturn the law. Arnold, however, is hoping to keep the law in place and intact.
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"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," Arnold Schwarzenegger said of his surgery. "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. That's life with a genetic heart issue. But you won't hear me complaining."
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The pacemaker installation was hardly Arnold Schwarzenegger's only procedure. In 1997, he had heart surgery to replace a defective, congenital aortic heart valve. In 2020, he had his aortic valve replaced. In 2018, he had a pulmonary valve inserted as well.
