'It’s true: I’m back! I went to sleep expecting to wake up with a small incision and woke up with a big one - but guess what? I woke up, and that’s something to be thankful for,' he tweeted earlier this morning. 'Thank you to the doctors & nurses. And I’m truly filled with gratitude for all of the kind messages.'
It was originally reported late last week by TMZ that Arnie underwent the emergency surgery to unblock a pulmonary valve. The surgery comes only a week after Schwarzenegger was happily posing for photos with fans at the Arnold Classic competition in Melbourne.
This isn’t the first time the big fella has gone under the knife for heart related issues, with a representative confirming to the LA Times in 1997 that Schwarzenegger had undergone elective surgery to replace his aortic valve.
"This is a congenital condition that's existed in his family," she said of the operation in 1997. "We expect a very short recovery period."
While all signs point to another speedy recovery this time around, Schwarzenegger’s high-profile colleagues and mates have been voicing their support, including The Expendables co-star Sylvester Stallone.
'Arnold's a strong man, he'll be bigger and better than ever,’ said Stallone when talking to TMZ. The duo are known to enjoy the occasional cigar together, and Sly was grilled on whether he expected the operation will change Arnie’s smoking habits. “Doubt it,” he replied. “Some things you just can’t give up: stogies and breathing.”
