Pawn Stars star Rick Harrison is recovering after what was expected to be a routine heart procedure unexpectedly turned into emergency bypass surgery.

Harrison, 61, went to the hospital on Friday, Sept. 4, expecting doctors to perform a stent procedure. During the process, however, doctors discovered a more serious issue and determined that the longtime reality television personality needed bypass surgery instead.

“He went in for a simpler procedure, and they found he needed a bypass,” a spokesperson for the Harrison family said.

The family said Harrison was resting comfortably following the operation and looking forward to making a full recovery. His wife, Agripina “Angie” Polushkin, and other members of his family were with him at the hospital.

Routine Procedure Takes an Unexpected Turn

Harrison had gone into the hospital believing he would undergo a comparatively routine stent procedure, which is commonly used to improve blood flow through a narrowed or blocked artery.

Instead, doctors discovered a condition serious enough to require bypass surgery, a substantially more involved operation in which blood flow is redirected around blocked or narrowed coronary arteries.

Harrison's representatives have not publicly disclosed the specific condition doctors discovered, how many arteries required bypasses or other detailed medical information surrounding the operation. The family's public statements have instead focused on his recovery.

“He is resting comfortably and looking forward to a full recovery,” his spokesperson said, adding that Harrison was grateful to the doctors and hospital staff treating him.

The unexpected surgery came only weeks after Harrison publicly revealed that he had undergone an echocardiogram, a test that uses ultrasound to examine the heart and how it is functioning.

There was no indication in the family's initial announcement that Harrison's condition following surgery was unstable.

Family Remains by His Side

Harrison has been recovering with his wife Angie and family supporting him through the health scare.

Harrison and Polushkin married earlier this year after dating since 2024. The couple held a ceremony in Las Vegas in January before later celebrating with another wedding in Cancun.

The emergency operation adds another difficult chapter to what has already been an eventful period for the Harrison family.

Earlier this year, Harrison's son and longtime Pawn Stars co-star Corey Harrison suffered serious injuries in a motorcycle accident that prevented him from attending his father's Cancun wedding. The family also endured the death of Harrison's son Adam in January 2024 at age 39.

For the moment, however, the family's attention is on Rick's recovery.

A Television Fixture for More Than 15 Years

Harrison became nationally recognizable after Pawn Stars premiered on the History Channel in 2009.

The reality series follows Harrison and his family at the World Famous Gold & Silver Pawn Shop in Las Vegas, where customers bring in collectibles, historical artifacts and unusual objects in hopes of selling or pawning them.

Harrison's negotiations with customers—and his habit of bringing in specialists to authenticate unusual items—helped turn the series into one of History's signature reality programs.

He appeared alongside his father, Richard “Old Man” Harrison, his son Corey and Austin “Chumlee” Russell, becoming the central face of the franchise over hundreds of episodes. Richard Harrison died in 2018.

Now, Harrison is temporarily focused on something far removed from the pawn shop.

What was expected to be a routine medical procedure became emergency heart surgery after doctors discovered a more serious problem. The immediate news from his family, however, is encouraging: Harrison is resting comfortably, surrounded by family and expected to make a full recovery.