Penguins defenseman Kris Letang undergoes successful heart surgery

PITTSBURGH, Pa. — Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang underwent successful heart surgery, the team announced Wednesday morning. 

The surgery was to close a patent foramen ovale (PFO), which the team described as a small hole in the heart.

The surgery was performed at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital on Tuesday.

The teams said that the expected recovery time is four to six weeks.

There were already positive signs for Letang’s recovery on Wednesday. The 37-year-old was at the Penguins’ facility in Cranberry, just a day after his procedure. 

His teammates said it was an encouraging sign, but not surprising. 

“He’s a maniac,” joked Erik Karlsson, Letang’s fellow defenseman. “I was kind of expecting to see him yesterday, to be honest. I talked to him yesterday, at least, so I knew he was fine. It’s good to see that. I think it all depends on how he reacts to it will make it a lot easier on the rest of us. He came in and moving a little bit slow today, but he was in a good mood. That, I think, eases everybody’s mind.”

Letang has dealt with several medical issues in his 19-year career, including two strokes, the first in 2014 and another in 2022. Doctors discovered the hole in his heart after his first stroke. 

Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan said Wednesday that surgery to repair the hole has been on the table for quite a while. With the Penguins out of the playoffs and looking at an extended offseason, Letang opted to undergo the procedure. 

“This is something that Kris and the medical team have discussed for a long time,” Sullivan said. “Given the circumstance with Kris right now, he’s banged up. He’s dealing with a lot of bumps and bruises. Collectively, we thought as a group, it made the most sense to have the procedure done at this particular time.  It isn’t anything that caused it. It was just something that’s been an ongoing discussion for a long period of time and we just felt this was the opportune time to do it.

Last May, Letang underwent surgery to repair a fractured finger on his left hand.

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