Former F1 driver Heikki Kovalainen underwent open heart surgery a few days ago – He came through the procedure well and is recovering at home
Ex-Formula 1 driver Heikki Kovalainen had to undergo open-heart surgery for an aortic aneurysm a few days ago. The Finn has now commented on his state of health and confirmed that the operation “went well”. The winner of the 2008 Hungarian GP is currently recovering in his native Finland.
“I was diagnosed with an ascending aortic aneurysm at the end of last year,” Kovalainen recently explained in a social media video. The aneurysm was discovered during a routine check-up. In the worst-case scenario, the artery could have ruptured, which would have led to life-threatening internal bleeding.
“It’s a piece of the ascending aorta that has dilated quite a lot,” reports the Finn, who raced for McLaren, Renault, Caterham and Lotus during his Formula 1 career. “That’s obviously the reason why I wasn’t able to take part in rallies or other activities over the winter. Over the last few months, I have been discussing my options with a medical team. “
“Forever marks on my chest “
“We have decided to have an operation. Last week, I was operated on at Tampere University Hospital’s cardiac department,” says Kovalainen. “A wonderful team of doctors, nurses and assistants took care of me. It was open heart surgery, so I’ll have marks on my chest forever. But the operation went well.”
“We managed to do exactly what we wanted to do,” says the 42-year-old with relief. During the operation, the diseased part of the aorta was removed and an artificial graft was inserted. “Everything went well. It was a major operation, of course. I felt a little unwell a few days after the operation, but things have improved a lot since then.”
“I’m back home now and already recovering. The outlook is quite good,” says the Finn. “There is a possibility of making a full recovery and getting back to full fitness, but of course only time will tell how it all pans out. So far the assessment is pretty good and I’m very happy with it. “
Kovalainen active in rallying
“In the meantime, I will continue to recover and try to gradually increase my activities,” says Kovalainen, who discovered rallying after his Formula 1 retirement. He drives a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 in the Japanese rally championship, where he won the title in a Skoda Fabia together with Sae Kitagawa in the last two years.
“The most important thing, of course, is that the sternum has time to heal. And if all goes well, I hope that I can then return to my normal routine. I hope to see you back on the track soon. “
