The 70-year-old former California governor had a scheduled procedure to replace a pulmonic valve on Thursday, according to Schwarzenegger's spokesman, Daniel Ketchell. He was in stable condition on Friday.
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"His first words were actually 'I'm back," so he is in good spirits," Ketchell tweeted.
The operation was necessary to replace a valve that had originally been installed in 1997 for a congenital heart defect. "That 1997 replacement valve was never meant to be permanent, and has outlived its life expectancy," Ketchell said. Schwarzenegger opted for a less-invasive catheter valve replacement procedure.
An open-heart surgery team was ready during the procedure, but Ketchell said their presence wasn't unusual in such circumstances.
Schwarzenegger was a bodybuilding star before turning to movies. His career as an action hero took off with the box-office hit "Conan the Barbarian" in 1982. His role in the "Terminator" in 1984 propelled him into box-office superstardom. He served as governor of California from 2003 to 2011.
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In addition to his heart ailments, Schwarzenegger had a motorcycle crash in 2001 that left him with several broken ribs. He's had a hip replaced and had rotator cuff surgery in 2003.
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