Efter att att hjärtproblem avslöjades hos Stefan Struve, befarades karriären vara över. Dana White gick snabbt ut med beskedet att den holländske tungviktaren förmodligen inte skulle kunna återvända till UFC. Men nu ser situationen ljusare ut.
Struves manager berättade för MMAfighting att hälsotillståndet har förbättrats efter medicinering. Dessutom visade sig att förstoringen av hjärtat inte var så allvarlig som man först trott:
”Stefan Struve recently had a follow-up visit with his doctors to determine the efficacy of the treatment protocol he had been prescribed. During his visit, the doctors informed Stefan that the leakage back into his heart has been greatly reduced.Additionally, his heart is not as enlarged as it was, but since it is still enlarged, they are attributing it to a condition called ’Athletic Heart Syndrome,’ which is fairly common in athletes who train rigorously for more than one hour per day and is generally considered benign.
The general prognosis for Stefan’s health is very positive. Stefan is focused on returning to the Octagon as soon as he can do so safely.”
Struve medverkade nyligen i MMAhour och intygade där att han mådde bra och inte lider av hjärtproblemet:
”I feel great.I don’t feel a thing about the condition. I’ve had it my entire life. That’s the crazy thing. I’ve been fighting my entire career with a heart that’s only working at 70 percent. With medication, they’re trying to lower the blood pressure and get the leakage to become less than it has been, trying to get it back to 90 percent.”
