Schwarzenegger feels 'a little bit more of a machine' after getting pacemaker

Los Angeles, March 26 (IANS) Hollywood star Arnold Schwarzenegger, who previously has undergone three open-heart surgeries, shared on his daily wellness podcast that he recently had a pacemaker put in to help regulate his heart.

“Last Monday, I had surgery to become a little bit more of a machine: I got a pacemaker,” he said, reports ew.com.

"First of all, I want you to know I’m doing great! 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. Nobody would ever have thought I started the week with a surgery.”

Schwarzenegger thanked his medical team by saying: "All of the doctors and nurses took amazing care of me and made the surgery as painless as possible."

The 'Terminator' star has been keeping a check on his cardiac health due to a genetic heart condition that took his mother's life in 1998, when she did not get the valve replacement surgery she required.

He underwent two surgeries in 1997, during which doctors replaced his pulmonic and aortic valves. He had them replaced again in 2018 and 2020. Scar tissue from the surgeries caused Schwarzenegger to have an irregular heartbeat, which he continued to monitor.

"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,” he said.

"That’s life with a genetic heart issue. But you won’t hear me complaining."

Schwarzenegger learned his need for a pacemaker earlier this month when he underwent a string of tests as part of his regular checkups. His doctor advised him to have the pacemaker installed as soon as possible.

"Monday, I went under and got my new machine part installed. Like I said, by Friday, I was out doing my normal environmental work, and nobody knew anything. I can’t do my serious training in the gym for a while, but I will be 100 per cent ready for FUBAR next month!"

Schwarzenegger concluded the segment by admitting that it's not in his nature to be so public about his health, but that he's realised over the years how much being open about his own struggles can help others.