Arnold Schwarzenegger Opens Up About Unplanned Open Heart Surgery Following Medical Misdiagnosis

Arnold Schwarzenegger has encountered a series of medical crises in the past years, ranging from a bike fall requiring a few stitches to conditions requiring surgical interventions. Recently, the actor recounted his experience with open-heart surgery in a video uploaded to his YouTube channel—a segment of the vibrant fitness community, Arnold’s Pump Club.

The actor shared details of the event that unfolded during a medical procedure in early 2018, which left both his admirers and medical professionals anxious. He also discussed the unexpected complications and his subsequent recovery.

Arnold Schwarzenegger says that his surgery became complicated due to an error

The 76-year-old underwent a significant medical procedure—an open-heart surgery, shortly before embarking on the production of his 2019 movie, Terminator: Dark Fate. Schwarzenegger revealed that the procedure, which was supposed to be a straightforward and low-risk medical intervention, took an unexpected turn due to a surgical error.

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“I remember when I had my open heart surgery, my third one… I was really freaking out, and I woke up all of the sudden and the doctor was standing in front of me, and saying ‘I’m so sorry, but unlike what we planned, a non-invasive surgery,” he admitted. “We made a mistake and poked through the heart wall, and there was internal bleeding, and we had to open you up to save your life.”

He gives details of his recovery process

The actor disclosed that upon getting the sad news,  instead of wallowing in grief, he decided that his full recovery was the utmost priority. “The bottom line is, you cannot roll the clock back,” Schwarzenegger said. “It was a disaster. I was in the middle of a disaster. So now how do I get out of it? You have to shift gears. You collect yourself, shift gears, and say, ‘OK, what I need to do now is I got to get out of this hospital.”

The actor explained that his path to recovery was undeniably challenging. “I looked like an idiot waddling around the hallway, but the bottom line was the doctor said you have to exercise your lungs because if you get pneumonia you can die,” he said. “We did it because I had a positive attitude … [Three months later] I started shooting Terminator 6.”