Arnold Schwarzenegger’s pal Sylvester Stallone says he’ll be ‘bigger and better than ever’ following emergency open heart op

ARNOLD Schwarzenegger’s friend Sylvester Stallone said the actor would be “bigger and better than ever” following his emergency open heart surgery.

The 70-year-old film legend was rushed to hospital on Thursday and is now recovering from the op.

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Arnold Schwarzenegger’s friend Sylvester Stallone said he’d be ‘bigger and better than ever’ following his emergency heart op[/caption]

When asked about his pal, Sylvester told reporters he was a “strong man” before joking he would be unlikely to give up his beloved cigars.

Rambo star 71-year-old Sylvester told TMZ: “Some things you just can’t give up…stogies and breathing…”

When asked if Arnie would quit smoking, he quipped: “Doubt it!”

Following his surgery, Arnold was said to be in good spirits and even cracked a joke about The Terminator when he came round.

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The 70-year-old is recovering in hospital following the surgery[/caption]

According to US reports, Arnold had been initially taken to hospital for a catheter valve replacement.

But surgeons apparently hit complications during the “experimental” procedure and were forced to carry out open-heart surgery on the Red Sonya actor.

His spokesperson confirmed he was stable and said: “His first words were actually ‘I’m back’, so he is in good spirits.”

Arnie was last seen in public puffing on a cigar as he left a Beverly Hills hotel after lunch with his son Patrick, 24, on Wednesday — the day before the op.

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Sylvester joked his good friend Arnie probably wouldn’t kick his smoking habit however[/caption]

Last weekend the former California governor went on US TV to talk about the future of the Republican Party, saying it was “dying at the box office”.

The previous Sunday he appeared tanned and buffed when he made an appearance at an amateur bodybuilding competition in Melbourne, Australia.

It isn’t the first time the seven-time Mr Olympia, affectionately known as Arnie, has undergone heart surgery.

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The pair on screen in Escape Plan back in 2013[/caption]

He was due to have a new pulmonic valve, which had been originally replaced due to a congenital heart defect in 1997.

A spokesman said: “That 1997 replacement valve was never meant to be permanent and has outlived its life expectancy.

“So he chose to replace it through a less-invasive catheter valve replacement.

“An open-heart surgery team was prepared, in case the catheter procedure was unable to be performed.”

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