Film star, former California governor, and seven time winner of the Mr. Olympia title Arnold Schwarzenegger published positive images to his social media platforms on Friday as he recovered from heart surgery.
“Thanks to the team at the Cleveland Clinic, I have a new aortic valve to go along with my new pulmonary valve from my last surgery,” he wrote. “I feel fantastic and have already been walking the streets of Cleveland enjoying your amazing statues. Thank you to every doc and nurse on my team!”
The first pic showed the action and comedy legend in a supine position with a thumbs-up, while the next three featured a lovely autumn walk, taking in the sights. He posed next to statues of Thomas Jefferson, Jesse Owens (whose family moved to Cleveland when he was nine, and who later attended The Ohio State University), and Abraham Lincoln.
Schwarzenegger was born with a condition known as bicuspid aortic valve, in which the heart’s main artery, the aorta, has only two cusps instead of three. If untreated, it can lead to blocked blood flow. In 1997, he underwent surgery for a replacement valve made of his own pulmonic valve, which itself was replaced with a donor’s. In March 2018 he underwent emergency surgery to have this replacement valve replaced.
You might be wondering, with no disrespect to the great people of Cleveland, why Schwarzenegger, who surely has access to the finest hospitals under the sun, would choose to have surgery there. Well, as it happens, the Cleveland Clinic has been recently rated the top heart hospital in the nation, and the number two hospital overall. So it’s got the Rock and Roll Hall of fame and great doctors. Get your act together, Columbus!
Less than one month ago Schwarzenegger was (virtually) hosting the Austrian World Summit of the Schwarzenegger Climate Initiative, which introduced speakers like Prince Charles, Jane Goodall, and Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan. It also featured an extended chat with Schwarzenegger’s old boss James Cameron, and, despite an attempt, not even the mighty Arnold could pry any Avatar 2 secrets loose.
In late March, Schwarzenegger was heavily involved in a chess tournament with his donkey Lulu.
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