Paxton made his first movie debut in Crazy Mama (1975), and played several small roles after that. He had a memorable performance as Private Hudson in the 1985 film, Aliens, but his rise to massive stardom came after he played a lead role in the acclaimed One False Move in 1992. Sadly, his impressive career and life ended early after a stroke occurred shortly after a surgery he had to fix a birth defect in his heart called a bicuspid aortic valve disease (BAVD), which had caused complications.
According to ABC News, Paxton’s death certificate showed the birth defect.
Bicuspid aortic valves are when the heart has fewer small leaflets pushing blood into the heart.
Normally, people have three leaflets but people with the condition only have two.
The defect is known to cause many complications, such as heart failure, or an aortic aneurysm – which is the complication that occurred in Paxton. An aortic aneurysm is a swelling in the aorta – the heart’s main blood vessel.
Paxton’s surgery was reportedly intended to treat the aneurysm as well as the defect. But just 11 days after the surgery, the star died of a stroke.
The family of Paxton has sued Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, alleging that the surgeon used a “high risk and unconventional surgical approach” that was unnecessary and that he lacked the expertise and hadn’t communicated the risks properly.
In 2018, they also sued General Anesthesia Specialists Partnership for negligence and wrongful death. The group had been involved in the heart surgery before his death but denied responsibility. A $1 million settlement was recently reached.
DON’T MISS
How to prevent BAVD complications
People with the condition are already at high risk of having complications. According to the Cleveland Clinic, roughly one in three have complications that can be serious or fatal.
With that in mind, if you have the condition it is important to reduce other factors that can increase your risk.
Cedars-Sinai encourages people to avoid high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, and smoking – which can all increase risk.