Sean Hayes shares story of visiting the hospital twice in one night due to heart condition
The Emmy-winning star has been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation.
Sean Hayes is well aware of how to manage his health.
The Emmy award-winning star, who has atrial fibrillation, talked about his recent experiences with the hospital on the latest episode of the “Smartless” podcast, which he co-hosts alongside Jason Bateman and Will Arnett.
Atrial fibrillation is a heart condition marked by an “irregular and often rapid heart rhythm,” which may create blood clots and elevate the risk of strokes or heart failure, according to the Mayo Clinic. Hayes previously expressed, “It feels like you’re going to die,” when experiencing a rapid heartbeat.
This topic arose during a discussion on the podcast with actor Hugh Grant, who mentioned feeling drained from his recent jet lag. He shared, “I woke up a while ago feeling extremely hungry, and it felt as if my heart was made of Play-Doh.”
Arnett then recounted that Hayes, aged 54, drove himself to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles after awakening at night with a “heart issue.”
“They brought out the paddles. He was put under, and they used the paddles on him. He then drove home,” Arnett explained. “An hour later, he got up to go to the bathroom and drove back to Cedars for another round of paddles.”
The medical situation didn’t seem to upset Hayes, who mentioned he and his spouse, composer Scott Icenogle, went out to dinner the next evening.
In a 2021 appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”, Hayes humorously addressed his frequent visits to the hospital and the knowledge he’s acquired from these experiences.
“When I visit the ER, I feel like Norm from ‘Cheers.’ They call out ‘Sean!’ because I’m such a regular,” Hayes joked. “They ask, ‘Can I examine you?’ and I respond, ‘This is how it’s going to go: You’ll give me Propofol, I’ll be out, you’ll say, “Clear” (to use defibrillators), and I’ll go home.’ It restores my heart back to its normal rhythm.”