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Anthony Pangilinan recovering from heart surgery; Maricel Laxa says they kept it private 'so we could heal properly'
Anthony Pangilinan is now recovering following a successful open-heart surgery due to a "mitral heart valve issue."
In an Instagram Reel, the husband of actress Maricel Laxa said that he dug up medical checkup results from months back after experiencing shortness of breath.
Upon showing the results to his neighbor, who is a cardiologist, he was asked to do further tests.
"Long story short, I had a mitral heart valve issue that had a, and I quote, 'torrentially severe leak' and if not for a strong heart, which I think I got from running, I should've already shown more serious heartfelt symptoms," he said in the video.
According to the Mayo Clinic, heart valve disease occurs when one or more of the heart's valves does not work properly.
The heart has four valves: the aortic valve, mitral valve, pulmonary valve, and tricuspid valve, all of which function to ensure that blood flows in the right direction. The mitral valve is located between the upper left and lower left heart chambers.
Leakage in a heart valve occurs when a valve does not close properly or fully, which causes blood to leak backward. The most common type of heart valve disease, per the Mayo Clinic, is mitral valve regurgitation. Symptoms of heart valve disease include shortness of breath, fatigue, chest pain, dizziness, fainting, irregular heartbeat, and swelling of the ankles and feet.
In Anthony's case, he had his heart valve repaired through surgery, which was performed by Dr. Nelson Lee of the Philippine Heart Center.
"With the help of dear friends and family, we prepped for the open-heart surgery with whatever hope and faith we could hold on to," he said.
He added that what should have been a three to five hour surgical procedure turned to 12 hours due to difficulty in inserting the right tube into his lungs.
What was also supposed to be just a week-long stay in the hospital turned into three weeks.
"As a combination of post-operation procedures to clear my lungs, to regular my heart rate, blood pressure, and to initiate my rehabilitation protocols demanded some attention," he said of his extended stay.
Anthony has a long, slow road to recovery ahead of him, sharing that a doctor told him what he experienced was akin to being beaten up by 10 men and hit by 10 trucks.
"To hell and back, I describe it. Whatever way, I made it through by His grace and by the continuing acts of bold faith He equips me, my family, to do daily as I now prepare for the next new season of my life."
Meanwhile, wife Maricel shared in her guesting on Tuesday's "Fast Talk with Boy Abunda" that it has been two weeks since Anthony was discharged from the hospital.
Per the "Lilet Matias: Attorney-at-Law" actress, they did not want to make his heart surgery public so they could heal as a family.
"We just wanted a private time para sa pamilya, so that we could heal properly, all of us, kasi pag dumadaan sa ganitong challenge sa buhay kailangan ng suporta ng bawat isa. And so we went through it quietly and it's the most beautiful thing to go through together," she said.
She also told Tito Boy that her husband has been walking as he heals and has even been back to work.
Maricel and Anthony have five children: Ella, Donny, Hannah, Benj, and Solana.
— CDC, GMA Integrated News
