Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo needed heart operation to save career

29 January 2009 09:29
According to the Sun[LNB], doctors diagnosed a 'racing heart' when Ronaldo was in his mid-teens and it was feared the Portuguese winger, now the World Footballer of trhe Year, would have to give up playing.[LNB]He was playing for Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon when the problem emerged.[LNB]He underwent thorough medical examinations and it was decided to operate to solve his irregular heartbeat.[LNB]The condition is not uncommon and many high-profile footballers have suffered from heart difficulties.[LNB]Former Manchester City midfielder Marc-Vivien Foe died while playing for Cameroon in 2003, while France World Cup winner Lilian Thuram was forced to retire last year because of a heart problem.[LNB]Portsmouth striker Kanu is another with a history of heart concerns. However, fortunately for Ronaldo, delicate laser surgery cured his problem and enabled him to become the world's No 1 player.[LNB]Ronaldo's mother, Dolores Aveiro, said: "His heart raced a lot when he wasn't running.[LNB]"The people in charge at Sporting alerted me and I went to Portugal where I had to sign some papers and authorise him being treated in hospital.[LNB]"They used a sort of laser to cauterise the source of the problem. He was operated on in the morning and came out at the end of the afternoon.[LNB]"Before we knew exactly what he had I was worried because there was the possibility of him giving up playing football.[LNB]"But the treatment went well and after some days he was back at training again."[LNB]

Source: Telegraph