British superstar Sam Smith has undergone successful vocal cord surgery in Boston and is expected to make a complete recovery, it has been reported.

Massachusetts General Hospital released a statement on Tuesday (May 19th) that read: “Sam Smith underwent vocal cord microsurgery by Dr. Steven Zeitels to stop recurrent vocal cord hemorrhage (bleeding). This condition is the result of unstable blood vessels in the vocal cord that can rupture and prevent vocal performance.”

Sam SmithSam Smith has had successful surgery on his vocal cords

The good news came on the same day as Smith’s 23rd birthday. It’s been one a hell of a year for the young man, with his debut album In The Lonely Hour having sold nearly 3 million copies in the US and UK combined, and still going strong in the Top Ten on both sides of the Atlantic.

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The statement continued that the hospital had “pioneered many vocal cord surgery procedures for benign and malignant problems, including the use of specialized lasers to stop vocal cord bleeding in singers.”

Smith was clearly in very good hands throughout his ordeal. “He [Dr. Zeitels] has performed this unique procedure for many vocalists including Steven Tyler, Lionel Richie and Adele, allowing them to return to full performance. Similarly, Dr. Zeitels expects Sam to make a full recovery from his laser microsurgery.”

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The singer had been forced to pull out of a series of tour dates in Australia and the Far East as a result of his diagnosis. In recent interviews, he admitted that he has been “dreading” the throat surgery which will apparently mean that he’s unable to speak for three weeks, and not to sing for up to two months. His next live show is pencilled in for July 18th.

Sam Smith won an impressive four Grammy Awards, including for song and record of the year with ‘Stay With Me’, at the annual ceremony back in February, crowning his meteoric rise to international success in a little under two years since his emergence onto the scene.

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