All Blacks great Sonny Bill Williams has open heart surgery, Bulldogs, Roosters, aortic valve

NRL and All Blacks great Sonny Bill Williams says he could have died at any moment after doctors discovered a life-threatening heart condition.

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Williams has undergone open-heart surgery to replace his aortic valve and reconstruct another valve.

He was worried that he wouldn’t survive the surgery, which was done at Melbourne’s Austin Hospital recently.

The 41-year-old Williams took to social media on Friday night in a video to share his ordeal.

He revealed he had the condition throughout his decorated sporting career which included premierships at the Bulldogs and Roosters.

He even boxed Paul Gallen with it just 15 months ago unaware that he could have dropped dead at any moment.

“That’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” Williams said of the operation.

“Day two, honestly … I thought I wasn’t going to make it.

“The doctor said, ‘it’s a miracle that you found it because it’s a case where a perfectly fit-looking person could drop dead’.”

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He said he initially misjudged the magnitude of the surgery, which his surgeon described as two major operations in one.

The condition could have worsened over time and caused blood to leak backwards through the valve or a narrowing that restricts blood flow.

Surgeon Dr Michael O’Keefe said: “It’s one of the only operations in cardiac surgery we do that puts you back on a normal life expectancy curve.”

Amazingly, Williams could still play sport again at a competitive level and his surgeon even said the condition would have impacted his athletic performance over the years.

“The fact that you did so well at such a high level just goes to show you how fit you must have been to be able to compensate for it,” Dr O’Keefe said.

“You’ve been playing with a handicap, which you hadn’t realised for a long time.”

The condition affects just two per cent of the population, but everyone with it develops serious complications.

Williams gave O’Keefe an All Blacks jumper as a gift.

“I’ve had such a special life, and there were times and moments in the last seven days in particular where I didn’t know if this was my time,” he said.