Arian Foster Considers Surgery To Fix Heart Condition

Arian Foster could be going under the knife.

The Houston Texans running back said he’s considering a heart procedure to fix a condition that kept him out of a game during the 2012 season, ESPN reported.

Foster said he will “likely undergo” a heart ablation later this month to correct an abnormal heartbeat. The Mayo Clinic’s web site noted that a cardiac ablation “typically uses catheters — long, flexible tubes inserted through a vein in your groin and threaded to your heart — to correct structural problems in your heart that cause an arrhythmia.”

It was this irregular heartbeat that forced Foster out of the game during a 23-6 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on December 23. A few days later he tweeted to fans that he would be all right.

Arian Foster‘s prediction didn’t seem to jive with what Texans general manager Rick Smith said. The GM noted that Foster wasn’t likely to have the procedure, and that the team’s medical staff has kept close track of it.

“We’re comfortable with where he is,” Smith told the Houston Chronicle. “Our medical team continues to monitor it. He missed one-half of a practice and one-half of a game, and our doctors treated him. We always monitor (Foster). He’s fine.”

Foster noted that he’s been dealing with the condition for quite some time, and it usually manifests in shortness of breath. The running back has said previously that he believes the attacks are stress-related.

Arian Foster continued to be one of the NFL’s best rushers this year, finishing with 1,424 yards and 15 touchdowns.