The Austrian-born action movie star and former California governor  Arnold Schwarzenegger has undergone heart surgery and is now recovering in hospital, Independent reported.

Arnold Schwarzenegger   "developed complications" during a scheduled procedure and needed "emergency open-heart surgery," entertainment news website TMZ. claimed. 

However, in a statement spokesman Daniel Ketchell said that Schwarzenegger was in stable condition and that the operation was a success, adding that was "the most important thing". 

The operation was necessary to replace a valve that had originally been installed in 1997 for a congenital heart defect.