‘You’ll just die one day’: Triple M host Greg ‘Marto’ Martin reveals heart surgery shock

Prompted by the recent deaths of Rod Marsh and Shane Warne, Triple M host Greg ‘Marto’ Martin has revealed he underwent heart surgery after discovering by chance that he had been living with a life-threatening heart disease. LISTEN NOW

Queensland rugby star turned breakfast radio presenter Greg “Marto” Martin has revealed he underwent open heart surgery after discovering he had a heart condition that could have killed him at any moment.

The Triple M radio host went to hospital for a routine check six years ago only to discover he had lived with a congenital and life-threatening heart condition his whole life, admitting that chance appointment “saved my life”.

SCROLL DOWN TO HEAR MARTO TELL HIS STORY

He opened up about his history with heart disease for the first time on The Big Breakfast on Wednesday, following the recent deaths of cricket greats Rod Marsh and Shane Warne, who died of a suspected heart attack.

Triple M breakfast host Greg 'Marto' Martin has opened up about his history with heart disease. Photo: Supplied/Triple M

Martin, 58, played rugby union for the Australian Wallabies and Queensland Reds before becoming a tradesman and falling into a radio career, now notching up 21 years on breakfast radio.

He arrived at the Triple M studio six years ago, at his usual 4am start time, when the assistant producer at the time commented that he looked “a bit grey”.

“He said, ‘are you sore in your left arm?’ He started doctor googling. I said, ‘well I’m always sore in my left arm … I’m always a bit sore’,” Martin told co-host Margaux Parker.

“I ended up going to the hospital, I missed the morning at work. By 8 o’clock in the morning they said ‘there’s nothing wrong with your bloody heart, but hey listen, we might just do one more test’.

“They did one more test and found what is called a congenital heart disease. For my whole life, for 50 years of my life, my blood had been going fully oxygenated out of my heart and being pumped straight back, not to my body, but to my lungs.”

“They said, ‘you’re going to have to have open-heart surgery, mate’.”

Wallaby Greg Martin in action.

Shocked and expecting to go back to work the following morning, Martin phoned a friend who happened to be a heart surgeon, asking him to “tell these donkeys to pull their heads in”.

The surgeon spoke to the doctors and reiterated that Martin had to have immediate surgery.

“You don’t feel any pain,” the surgeon told Martin.

“You just come off your bike and they’ll find you on the side of Mt Coot-tha as soon as you raise your heart rate. It could be any time in the next three or four years.

“You’ll just die one day.”

“(That appointment) saved my life,” Martin said.

Martin was joined on the breakfast show by The Rush Hour co-host Ben “Dobbo” Dobbin, who had surgery six weeks ago after being rushed to hospital with an 88 per cent blockage to an artery known as the widow maker.

“I literally faced my mortality in that moment and I had a stent put in. It has been a slow recovery but I am all in on this, I want to raise awareness and make sure everybody knows,” Dobbin said.

“You think you’re going to be invincible, you’re just not. Blokes have to go and get checked.”

Cardiovascular disease accounts for one in four of all deaths in Australia.

Triple M Brisbane has now teamed up with Heart of Australia and St Andrew’s Hospital Spring Hill to host the Triple M Check Up, in which listeners will be able to have their blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose tested, and Dr Richardy Hostiadi from Top Health Doctors West End will do skin checks.