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Pawn Stars' Rick Harrison Rushed Into Emergency Heart Surgery After 'Routine' Procedure Takes Terrifying Turn

What started as a routine stent procedure for the Pawn Stars fixture turned into life-saving emergency bypass surgery — he's now recovering with wife Angie and family by his side.

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BY OBSERVER ENTERTAINMENT DESK

The Weekly Observer

SEP 4, 2026 · 3 MIN READ
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Pawn Stars' Rick Harrison Rushed Into Emergency Heart Surgery After 'Routine' Procedure Takes Terrifying Turn
Rick Harrison at CPAC in 2018. The "Pawn Stars" star is recovering after emergency bypass surgery. (Photo: Gage Skidmore / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0)

Rick Harrison, the gravel-voiced face of History Channel's long-running hit "Pawn Stars," is recovering in the hospital after what was supposed to be a routine cardiac procedure turned into emergency bypass surgery, according to TMZ.

The 61-year-old reality star checked in expecting doctors to perform a standard stent placement, a minimally invasive procedure used to open blocked arteries. But once physicians got a closer look, they found a more serious blockage that required them to pivot to full bypass surgery on the spot, per TMZ's reporting, which was corroborated by LadBible.

A family spokesperson confirmed the surgery went well and that Harrison is now in recovery mode.

"He is resting comfortably and looking forward to a full recovery," the spokesperson said, adding that Harrison is "grateful for the treatment he's receiving from doctors and staff at the hospital" and glad that "his wife and family can be with him during this time."

A Family Used to Weathering Health Scares

Harrison's wife, Angie, has remained by his side throughout the ordeal. The couple married earlier this year, and the timing has been eventful for the Harrison family — Rick's son and "Pawn Stars" co-star Corey Harrison survived a serious motorbike accident in Tulum, Mexico in January that left him with 11 fractured ribs, a punctured lung, a concussion and internal bleeding. Corey has since made a full recovery, per LadBible's reporting.

Harrison has been a fixture of reality television since "Pawn Stars" premiered on History in 2009, turning the family's Las Vegas shop, the World Famous Gold & Silver Pawn Shop, into a global tourist destination. He's remained publicly active in recent months, including an appearance at a White House small business event this past May.

No hospital name or exact surgery date has been publicly disclosed, and neither Harrison nor his representatives have released additional medical details beyond the family statement. The Observer will update this story as more information becomes available.

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