Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh said he had successful hip replacement surgery and a cardiac ablation during the offseason.
“Now the doctors can’t find anything wrong with me,” Harbaugh said at Tuesday’s minicamp. “Got an ‘A’ grade.”
Harbaugh’s health update comes after he exited a Week 6 game against the Denver Broncos last year while dealing with atrial flutter, a type of arrhythmia. The 61-year-old left in the first quarter and initially entered Los Angeles’ medical tent before heading to the locker room for treatment, which included an IV and an EKG. He returned to the sideline in the first quarter and coached the remainder of the game.
After the Chargers’ 23-16 win over the Broncos, Harbaugh said it was his third atrial flutter episode. He had one in 1999 as a player and another while coaching for the San Francisco 49ers in 2012. Harbaugh said he received an ablation to treat each of those two episodes.
A cardiac ablation is a procedure that “uses heat or cold energy to create tiny scars in the heart,” according to the Mayo Clinic. Those scars “block faulty heart signals and restore a typical heartbeat.”
Harbaugh saw a cardiologist after the Broncos game. The coach had to wear a heart monitor for two weeks and was placed on medication.
This offseason, Harbaugh also underwent a hip replacement after walking with a significant limp for years. He did not provide any additional details on the procedure at minicamp Tuesday and said “everything’s good” when asked about his offseason health updates.
(Photo: Kirby Lee / Imagn Images)