Photo: Scott Dudelson/Getty
Rocker Eddie Money will undergo heart valve surgery this week.
The 70-year-old musician (né Edward Mahoney) announced the news in anInstagram poston Tuesday.
“Hey everyone — I will be undergoing a minor, minimally invasive heart valve surgery this week,” he wrote. “I appreciate your thoughts and prayers. I look forward to getting back on stage and rockin’ with you all!”
A longer post shared tohis websiteexplained that Money’s doctors recommended the procedure after he experienced shortness of breath.
The doctors advised that the “Take Me Home Tonight” singer have the surgery last week, but Money postponed it until after two scheduled Memorial Day weekend concerts in Detroit and Arizona because he “did not want to disappoint his fans.”
At Sunday’s performance in Arizona, shortness of breath prevented Money from performing an encore after the show.
“The procedure is scheduled for this week while Money has a break in his concert dates,” the post explained, adding that he is expected to be back on the stage in mid-June.
Money’s next scheduled gig is June 13 in Frederick, Maryland.
Valve replacement surgery, especially aortic valve replacement, is “common as people age,”Dr. Jennifer Haythe, an assistant professor of medicine and co-director of the Women’s Center for Cardiovascular Health at Columbia University Medical Center, andmember of PEOPLE’s Health Squad, recently told PEOPLE.
“More than 1 in 8 people aged 75 or older have moderate to severe aortic stenosis, requiring a valve replacement,” she said.
Aortic stenosis occurs when one of thefour valves in the heart, which control blood flow, calcifies and becomes “stuck.”
“The symptoms of aortic stenosis are usually shortness of breath, chest discomfort, so usually that goes away afterwards,” Haythe added.
source: people.com
