Minnesota Timberwolves guard Fred Hoiberg said he will have heart surgery Tuesday at the Mayo Clinic to correct an enlarged aortic root.

Hoiberg told the Minneapolis Star Tribune on Friday that he should be able to play again, but he will consider retiring if his condition is life threatening.

"My world has been turned upside down,'' Hoiberg told the newspaper. "That's when priorities get set.''

The technical diagnosis is an aortic root aneurysm. That means there is a bulge in the root, where the artery meets the heart's aortic valve. He started getting hints of a problem in January and went to the Mayo Clinic, where he was diagnosed.

The 32-year-old played the entire 2004-05 season with the condition.

"Had I taken a significant blow to that area, it could have caused a rupture,'' Hoiberg said.

"I think back to last year, how disappointing it was for us not to make the playoffs. But for me personally, it probably was a blessing we didn't make the playoffs," he said.

Hoiberg said he has been told a full recovery is expected and should be back on the floor in three months. He said he is confident he can play three or four more years if everything heals correctly.