Sushmita Sen On Her Heart Attack: I Was Conscious Throughout The Stent Operation

Sushmita Sen got candid about the heart attack that she experienced on February 27, 2023, in Jaipur, in a recent podcast. She spoke about the health issues she developed while shooting for Aarya, where she plays the titular role in the crime-thriller series, and how she returned to the set with a few weeks to finish filming.

In conversation with Divya Jain, founder of Safeducate, Sushmita, who was crowned Miss Universe 1994, shared that going through a heart attack while she remained conscious made her realise just how close she came to death. Surviving this life-threatening situation gave her a new perspective and reinforced her belief that there was a purpose behind her survival and no use in dwelling on the incident.

“When you suffer a heart

attack and you are conscious through it, you kind of know how close you came to being on the other side of life,” the actor, who has daughters, Renee and Alisah Sen, shared on the podcast.

“I only know how to keep going. In my mind, everything is transient,” she added.

Sushmita had earlier mentioned that she had a 95 percent blockage in one of her arteries during the heart attack. She also shared that her younger daughter, Alisah, ensures that she takes her medicines on time.

Interestingly, Sushmita insisted on remaining conscious throughout her heart attack. She also asked not to be put under anaesthesia or even have the pain numbed during the stent procedure, a medical intervention to unblock a coronary artery and restore blood flow.

“I don’t like losing consciousness. It is also one of the reasons why I survived the heart attack,” the actor said. In fact, she shared how she was aware and chatting away with her doctors during the procedure. She even rejoined her crew in Jaipur and continued shooting around 15 days after the heart attack and major life-saving operation she underwent.

In a previous Instagram post, the model-turned-actor wrote, “My life is a story that I have played and lived. There was a major twist in my life story sometime back – when I suffered a massive heart attack. Those were the longest 45 minutes of my life. There was a moment when I thought my story was over.”