Sonny Bill Williams heart surgery a success after routine check finds defect

Sonny Bill Williams has had open-heart surgery for a heart defect he was born with, and he only found out about it because doctors picked it up during a routine check-up.

The 41-year-old former All Blacks star says the operation was a success. He shared the whole experience in a long video on his YouTube channel.

The defect had never been detected before. Doctors told Williams that it was a miracle they had found it, because the condition can make someone who looks fit drop dead without warning. They also told him it would have affected his sporting career.

A hard road through recovery

In the video, Williams said his heart was stopped for hours during the operation. He did not hide how hard the recovery was.

"It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Day two, honestly, I thought I wasn’t going to make it," he said.

He now feels he has come out stronger. "I have a better heart than when I walked in here," Williams said.

A message for people who feel healthy

Williams says he wants his experience to raise awareness of heart checks.

He won back-to-back Rugby World Cups with the All Blacks, in 2011 and 2015, and The South African reported that he earned 58 caps for New Zealand.