WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan's cause of death is now in question as a potentially massive error during one of his surgeries may actually have been a contributing factor.
Hogan's wife, Sky Daily, told TMZ Sports that her late husband's phrenic nerve was "compromised" during a recent procedure and a completed autopsy didn't disclose those results. An occupational therapist who was present at Hogan's Florida home said he stopped breathing when first responders arrived at the scene and a surgeon "severed" his phrenic nerve during surgery, according to a police report described by TMZ Sports as being on "lockdown."
Police who were present at the home they discussed this information with the therapist, with the discussions caught on bodycam footage. The Cleveland Clinic states that the phrenic nerve “controls your diaphragm and is essential to your ability to breathe.”
Hogan's cause of death was officially ruled to be a heart attack, according to Pinellas County Forensic Science Center documents obtained by Page Six on July 31. The legendary wrestler reportedly died from acute myocardial infarction, which occurs when blood flow to the heart is suddenly blocked, resulting in tissue damage, the documents confirmed.
Hogan reportedly had a history of atrial fibrillation (AFib), which is categorized in patients with an irregular and often rapid heart rate, as well as chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), a cancer that affects white blood cells, though the diagnosis that wasn't previously revealed to the public.