Mohd Azizulhasni recovering after heart surgery
Bernama
Mei 1, 2022 14:00 MYT
Mohd Azizulhasni recovering after heart surgery
National ace track cyclist Datuk Mohd Azizulhasni Awang is currently recovering after an open heart surgery due to a rare heart condition at the Epworth Richmond Hospital, Melbourne. - Twitter/AzizulAWANG
KUALA LUMPUR: National ace track cyclist Datuk Mohd Azizulhasni Awang is currently recovering after an open heart surgery to due to a rare heart condition known as anomalous aortic origin of right coronary artery (AAORCA) at the Epworth Richmond Hospital, Melbourne.
The 34-year-old, who is the country's gold medal hopeful at the 2024 Paris Olympics, said he underwent a three-hour corrective surgery on April 21 for the rare heart condition, which brings the risk of cardiac arrest and sudden death if not treated immediately.
He will continue to recover at Melbourne and likely will only return to training next year.
It means the two-time Olympics medallist will miss this year's Birmingham Commonwealth Games and Hangzhou Asian Games, but he is determined to compete at the Paris Olympics.
"The medical team advised me to do the surgery as soon as possible because it's a life-threatening situation. My (blood) vessels are clogged and leave only 20 per cent of the flow which is very minimal, furthermore, if I do a high-intensity workout.
"Even if I retired or not as active as I am now, I still have to do the surgery soon as my conditions will only get worse as I get older. As we get older, our heart muscles will only thicken, further reducing the blood flow," he said during a virtual press conference from Melbourne today.
