Good Morning America’s weather forecaster Sam Champion said his shortness of breath alerted doctors to the need for emergency heart surgery.
Champion returned to ABC’s morning show Wednesday after a two-day absence and gave an update on his health following life-saving procedures.
“You know, I think I live a healthy, active lifestyle,” Champion told viewers. “That’s what I really want to do.”
“And a lot of test results show that I’m pretty healthy,” he continued. “But one test saved my life, and I want to share it with you.”
The 64-year-old man explained that when he developed shortness of breath, doctors performed a nuclear stress test and the results were alarming, leading to a cardiac catheterization.
Dr. Tara Narula, a board-certified cardiologist, explained on “GMA” that the procedure involves inserting a catheter into an artery up to the heart muscle and taking pictures to see the extent of the blockage.
If an artery is more than 70% blocked, the surgeon may use a stent to widen the artery and restore blood flow.
Dr. Narula noted that the surgery does not require a long recovery, but does instruct people to “limit certain activities,” such as manual labor.
“But you’re certainly resilient and persevering,” she said. “But I think people are surprised to see you get stents and heart surgery and look exactly like you.”
Champion revealed on Sunday that he underwent heart surgery at Mount Sinai Faster Heart Hospital in New York City.
He shared a photo of himself sitting in a hospital bed and connected to a machine.
“Many of you know that I took a nuclear stress test last Thursday,” he said in an Instagram post. “And we found some things that needed to be addressed.”
The champion told fans he was “doing well” after surgery and was “expected to make a full recovery.”
The weather caster previously underwent multiple surgeries for skin cancer, which he announced on “GMA” in October 2024.
At the time, Champion said she had an unusual mark on her face that turned out to be nodular basal cell carcinoma, which required three surgeries and left a scar under one eye.
He also urged viewers to “please be very careful” and be aware of blemishes on your skin, especially after sun exposure.
