Arnie in stable condition after emergency heart surgery

ARNOLD Schwarzenegger was recovering in hospital last night after emergency heart surgery.

The 70-year-old had experienced difficulties during routine keyhole surgery for a heart valve replacement. Additional surgeons who were on standby at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles then made the quick decision to carry out emergency open-heart surgery.

Austrian-born Mr Schwarzenegger was last night said to be in a stable condition. The news sparked an outpouring of support from fans of the former bodybuilder, actor and exCalifornia governor, famous for his roles in the Terminator films.

In 1997, when he was 49, he underwent surgery to replace his pulmonary valve. Surgeons had to carry out the operation a second time before it was a success.

‘That 1997 replacement valve was never meant to be permanent, so he chose to replace it through a lessinvasive catheter valve replacement,’ his spokesman Daniel Ketchell said. ‘During that procedure, an open heart surgery team was prepared... in case the catheter procedure was unable to be performed.’

Mr Ketchell added that Mr Schwarzenegger’s ‘pulmonic valve was successfully replaced and he is currently recovering from the surgery and is in a stable condition’.

The actor is set to appear in a new Terminator film, but production could be delayed while he recovers.