Kris Letang, the Pittsburgh Penguins’ veteran defenseman, recently underwent successful heart surgery to close a small hole in his heart, a decision that could help shape the remainder of his NHL career and, more importantly, improve his long-term health. The team shared the news through a statement from Kyle Dubas, the president of hockey operations, confirming that Letang is expected to need four to six weeks to recover.<\/p>
At 37 years old, Letang has faced more than his fair share of challenges throughout his career, both on and off the ice. His health issues began to make headlines back in 2014 when he suffered his first stroke. That incident led doctors to discover a patent foramen ovale (PFO), which is a small hole in the heart that all humans are born with. Typically, this hole closes on its own shortly after birth. However, in Letang’s case, the hole remained, and while not immediately life-threatening, it did increase his risk of stroke, something that unfortunately happened again in 2022.<\/p>