Former Fleetwood Mac guitarist Lindsey Buckingham recently underwent open heart surgery, which resulted in the 69-year old musician damaging his vocal cords.

Buckingham’s wife, Kristen, shared the news in a length statement. She explains,

I am sad to say that late last week Lindsey underwent emergency open heart surgery. He is now recuperating and home and each day he is stronger than the last. While he and his heart are doing well, the surgery resulted in vocal cord damage. While it is unclear if this damage is permanent, we are hopeful it is not.

Last April, news broke that Buckingham had been fired by Fleetwood Mac after decades with the group. Shortly thereafter, Buckingham’s former Fleetwood Mac bandmate and longtime romantic companion Stevie Nicks expounded on the band’s decision to part ways with Lindsey in an interview with Rolling Stone.

A few weeks later, Buckingham broke his silence on his dismissal from Fleetwood Mac to his audience at a solo performance, noting,

It’s been an interesting time on a lot of levels. For me, personally, probably some of you know that for the last three months I have sadly taken leave of my band of 43 years, Fleetwood Mac. This was not something that was really my doing or my choice.

I think what you would say is that there were factions within the band that had lost their perspective [a female fan shouts, ‘F **k Stevie Nicks!,’ prompting Buckingham to raise his hand]. Well, it doesn’t really matter.

The point is that they’d lost their perspective. What that did was to harm — and this is the only thing I’m really sad about, the rest of it becomes an opportunity — it harmed the 43-year legacy that we had worked so hard to build [another admirer chimes in, ‘That you built, Lindsey’]. That legacy was really about rising above difficulties in order to fulfill one’s higher truth and one’s higher destiny.

Read Kristen Buckingham’s full statement regarding Lindsey’s surgery below, as well as some of her sentiments towards the couple’s last year.

Get well soon, Lindsey!