British soul sensation Sam Smith is expected to make a full recovery from his recent vocal cord surgery after receiving treatment from the same medical expert who cured Adele and Steven Tyler of their throat troubles.
The Stay With Me hitmaker checked into Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston for the operation last Thursday (14May15), and now a spokesman for the medical center has confirmed the corrective laser surgery was a success, revealing Smith was taken care of by surgeon to the stars, Dr. Steven Zeitels.
A statement released by hospital representative Michael Morrison on Tuesday (19May15) - Smith's 23rd birthday - reads: "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 came to Boston to consult and undergo corrective voice surgery with Dr. Zeitels, the director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Voice Center.
"Dr. Zeitels... has performed this unique procedure for many vocalists including Steven Tyler, Lionel Richie, and Adele, allowing them to return to full performance."
The vocal trouble prompted Smith to scrap his tour of Australia and Asia and cancel a slew of concert dates in late April and early May (15), but he assured fans he is on the road to recovery by posting a photo of himself in a wheelchair on his social media accounts after waking up from his surgery last week.
He has since been placed on strict vocal rest and had to accept his three prizes at the Billboard Music Awards on Sunday (17May15) in a pre-recorded video, in which he held up cue cards which had his acceptance speech written on them.