Hollywood star Arnie said to be stable after open heart surgery

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER has undergone emergency openheart surgery but remains in a stable condition, according to reports.

Surgeons apparently hit complications during the a procedure to replace a catheter valve yesterday.

The 70-yearold actor reportedly underwent the operation at Cedars-Sinai hospital in Los Angeles.

But the replacement failed, forcing physicians to carry out open heart surgery on the Terminator actor in a procedure which lasted several hours.

The seven-time Mr Olympia, who is famously known internationally as Arnie, has previously undergone heart surgery, when he had a defective, congenital aortic heart valve replaced in 1997 at the age of 50. However, the big-screen star decided not to have a mechanical valve over fears it could limit his ability to exercise. He revealed that he did not tell his ex-wife, Maria Shriver, about that procedure, in his biography Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story. Arnie later claimed that he coped with his health problems by “ignoring how serious the operation” actually was. ”I have been in denial all my life,” Schwarzenegger he said. “I was in denial when I had to have heart surgery.” “When I was waiting for my first heart surgery in my mind I was going to have a tooth pulled.

“I was still playing pool at midnight and thinking this was just a minor thing that had nothing to with my body.

“My grandmother and mother died from the same thing. I came home (from the operation) and started cycling. It was a stupid thing to do but I couldn’t get my head around the fact that I’d need surgery.”

The bodybuilder made a visit to Yorkshire last year when he appeared in Leeds to meet hordes of fans.

The former Governor of California and Mr Universe winner told his life story to supporters at the city’s Royal Armouries nuseum in September.

And the ex-actor stunned gymgoers when he was spotted working out in a Leeds fitness studio.

He decided to train at 1RM Elite Training Studio, in Cross Stamford Street, at the invitation of its owner Ricky Moore.