Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Arnold Schwarzenegger is said to be in a stable condition in hospital
Arnold Schwarzenegger has undergone heart surgery in Los Angeles.
The Austrian-American film star and former California governor, 70, had a scheduled procedure to replace a valve at Cedars-Sinai hospital on Thursday.
The device was installed to repair a defective aortic valve in 1997. Thursday's operation lasted several hours, TMZ website reports.
Schwarzenegger is said to be recovering well and reportedly commented after waking from surgery: "I'm back."
His spokesman, Daniel Ketchell, said that Schwarzenegger was "in good spirits".
Responding to the news, Austria's Chancellor Sebastian Kurz wished his "friend" well in a tweet, adding: "I look forward to seeing you again."
Schwarzenegger is best known as the hardman of cult movies such as the Terminator and Conan the Barbarian.
He served two terms as California governor from 2003 to 2011 before returning to acting in The Expendables.
In May last year, Schwarzenegger was honoured in France with the Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur, the country's most prestigious medal, for his environmental work.
Story highlights The actor and politician had successful open-heart surgery
The planned procedure was to replace an older heart value
(CNN) Former California governor and film star Arnold Schwarzenegger had open-heart surgery in California on Thursday to replace an aging pulmonic valve.
His representative, Daniel Ketchell, said that the surgery was successful and that 70-year-old Schwarzenegger is in stable condition at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles.
"Schwarzenegger is awake and his first words were actually 'I'm back', so he is in good spirits," Ketchell tweeted.
Schwarzenegger , who had a congenital heart defect, had undergone pulmonic valve replacement in 1997.
That valve was "never meant to be permanent," Ketchell said, and had reached the end of its life expectancy, which was approximately 10 to 15 years. The valve used in the new surgery was a less-invasive catheter valve replacement, he said.
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Former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is in stable condition Friday after undergoing heart surgery in Los Angeles, his spokesman Daniel Ketchell told The Washington Post.
Schwarzenegger’s first words after waking from the procedure were “I’m back,” according to Ketchell.
“So he is in good spirits,” he added.
Schwarzenegger, 70, underwent a planned procedure Thursday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center to replace a pulmonic valve that was originally replaced in 1997 for a congenital heart defect, Ketchell said in a statement.
“That 1997 replacement valve was never meant to be permanent, and has outlived its life expectancy, so he chose to replace it yesterday through a less-invasive catheter valve replacement,” Ketchell said.
He noted that an open-heart surgery team was on hand during the procedure, but downplayed its seriousness.
“They frequently are in these circumstances, in case the catheter procedure was unable to be performed,” Ketchell said. “Governor Schwarzenegger’s pulmonic valve was successfully replaced.”
Schwarzenegger is recovering from surgery and remains in stable condition, he added.
“That’s the most important part,” he said.
Schwarzenegger’s condition was first reported by TMZ, which said the actor and former bodybuilding champion had undergone a “somewhat experimental” catheter valve replacement.
According to the celebrity news site, doctors decided to perform “emergency” open-heart surgery after Schwarzenegger developed complications.
Perhaps best known in the ’80s and ’90s as a former Mr. Universe and for his roles in action movies like “Terminator” and “Total Recall,” Schwarzenegger, a native of Austria, transitioned from Hollywood star to politician when he successfully ran for California governor as a Republican. From 2003 to 2011, he served two terms as governor and was nicknamed “The Governator.”
Since then, he has mixed acting and politics. Over the past year, Schwarzenegger has emerged as a vocal opponent to President Trump, publicly criticizing Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris climate accord and lambasting the president’s equivocation after violence at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville killed a counterprotester.
He also was the host of the “New Celebrity Apprentice” on NBC, an iteration of the reality show that formerly starred Trump. (Instead of “You’re fired,” Schwarzenegger’s tagline was “You’re terminated.”)
Schwarzenegger’s TV gig and outspoken criticism of Trump made him a target of the president’s insults on Twitter and elsewhere. At the National Prayer Breakfast last year, Trump asked for attendees to pray for Schwarzenegger’s ratings.
In a video, Schwarzenegger responded to Trump’s jabs with a proposal.
“Hey Donald, I have a great idea. Why don’t we switch jobs,” Schwarzenegger said. “You take over TV, because you’re such an expert in ratings and I take over your job and Then people can finally sleep comfortably again.”
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The former California governor underwent a planned procedure on a pulmonic valve originally replaced in 1997, his spokesman said
Arnold Schwarzenegger had heart surgery in Los Angeles on Thursday, his representative has confirmed.
The former California governor and Terminator actor underwent surgery to replace a pulmonic valve, a spokesman, Daniel Ketchell, said in a statement.
Schwarzenegger originally had the valve replaced in 1997 to counter a congenital heart defect. Ketchell said Thursday’s operation was a planned procedure to replace that same valve.
“That 1997 replacement valve was never meant to be permanent and has outlived its life expectancy, so he chose to replace it yesterday through a less-invasive catheter valve replacement,” Ketchell said.
The spokesman claimed Schwarzenegger’s first words upon waking from the operation were “I’m back”.
The celebrity news website TMZ had reported early on Friday that Schwarzenegger had undergone “emergency open-heart surgery”, sparking a wave of news coverage, but Ketchell said that although an open-heart surgery team had attended the operation, they were only there as a precaution.
“They frequently are in these circumstances, in case the catheter procedure was unable to be performed,” Ketchell said.
“Governor Schwarzenegger’s pulmonic valve was successfully replaced.”
Schwarzenegger, 70, was 49 when he had his first heart surgery.
“Choosing to undergo open-heart surgery when I never felt sick was the hardest decision I’ve ever made,” Schwarzenegger said at the time.
The actor, who served as governor of California from 2003 to 2011, has been most active recently in his role as a Donald Trump antagonist.
Schwarzenegger has criticized Trump over his response to the violence in Charlottesville – Trump defended far-right marchers – and over the president’s tax reforms.
In 2017, James Cameron, who wrote and directed the first two Terminator films, said Schwarzenegger had signed up to appear in a sixth Terminator movie. The film will be set in Mexico City, although it is not clear when it will be released.
