The Wanted star Max George has received an outpouring of support following his second heart operation, which came just weeks after having a pacemaker fitted.
Taking to Instagram, the singer, 36, told fans he had to return to the hospital after experiencing some ‘physical symptoms’ which led to doctors realising one of the pacemaker leads was placed ‘too far’ into his heart.
‘It’s been a setback, but it’s just one of those things,’ he said of the successful second surgery, which he spent listening to Oasis.
Max explained that the last couple of months have seen him experience a few complications, but he assured fans that his doctors are conducting ‘loads of tests to make sure everything is all good’.
Thanking fans for their ‘lovely messages and support’ during the admittedly ‘rough time’, he said the next steps are allowing the ‘inflammation of my heart to subside (myocarditis)’.
Once he’s well rested, he is sure he will be back in ‘top form’.
Along with his update, Max shared two photos: one of him in surgery with headphones on and the other of his scar, which sits directly under a tattoo dedicated to his late friend and The Wanted star, Tom Parker.
The comment section quickly filled with well wishes for the musician from friends and fans, including his bandmate, Jay McGuiness: ‘Ouch ouch ouch. Proud of the way you’re rolling with the punches Georgy,’ he wrote.
L.S. Dunes drummer Tucker Rule also commented: ‘Love you buddy. Get well soon’.
While fan, @jules_hieatt wrote: ‘I’m glad they sorted you out quickly. Hopefully, now you can recover fully. Wishing you well’.
@abzeeb added: ‘Sending lots of love for a speedy recovery. Tom’s birthday above your scar is beautiful.’
Max was originally rushed into A&E in Manchester just before Christmas 2024, where he was fitted with a pacemaker.
This came after he awoke, feeling freezing cold and with bright blue hands, while staying with mum Babs, 63, at her home in Manchester following a month-long tour of the USA with his band.
After alerting his mother – who he credits with saving his life – he was initially sent home by their GP – however, a doctor friend then told him to get straight to A&E.
It was there that he was told he would need to have the operation because he had a ‘block’ in his heart for which a pacemaker – a small device used to treat some arrhythmias – had to be fitted.
After coming out of that surgery successfully, Max thought he was on the road to recovery.
That is until recently, when he began to feel a shaking and fluttering in his chest that was gradually worsening, he revealed to The Sun.
He said: ‘I was trying to get back to good health but was still having a flickering sensation for weeks after I had my pacemaker fitted and it was gradually getting worse and worse.’
Eventually, Max booked in for a second surgery on January 15, though he battled fears beforehand that he ‘could bleed out,’ given the rare set of circumstances.
Luckily, the second surgery was a success, and Max feels lucky to be on the other side of such a scary ordeal.
After his first operation, Max updated his followers by posting a photo of the large scar from the procedure above, which is a tattoo of his late Wanted bandmate Tom’s birthday, 4 August 1988.
Tom Parker died in 2022, aged 33, after he was diagnosed with brain cancer.
In his powerful caption, Max wrote: ‘Given the last 10 days, this is the best Christmas present I could have ever wished for.
‘Pacemaker is in. Operation took around 2 and half hours. The main issue being some of my veins had collapsed where the wires were meant to go… But the surgeons and nurses at the NHS have been incredible. I owe everything to them.
‘The surgeon kindly put my pacemaker just underneath a very special tattoo of mine.. So I’m sure it’s being looked after.’
He added that he still has a ‘few more tests’ remaining for ‘inflamed lymph nodes’ on his lungs but said it will ‘be easy work’.
‘Time to rest and then tackle life full-on once again. Thank you for all your support. It’s meant a hell of a lot to myself and my family,’ he concluded.
Now, as Max recovers from his second heart surgery, he’s been leaning on girlfriend Maisie Smith, 23.
Maisie, who is a former EastEnders star, met Max when they were competing on Strictly Come Dancing in 2020 and started dating two years later.
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