Jimmy Barnes has revealed he will be having heart surgery today due to a bacterial infection that's spread to his heart.
“Unfortunately I got some bad news late yesterday,” Jimmy Barnes posted. “Despite everyone’s best efforts the bacterial infection I’ve been battling over the last fortnight has apparently now spread to my heart.
“It’s infected an otherwise healthy valve that was replaced some years ago due to a congenital defect, so I’ll be getting open heart surgery over the next few hours to clear out this infection and put in a clean valve.
Jimmy Barnes’ bacterial pneumonia turns into heart surgery
- Cold Chisel frontman Jimmy Barnes has announced he has to undergo open heart surgery
- Barnes revealed he had bacterial pneumonia on December 4, which has since led to an infection that’s spread to his heart
- Barnes will have to cancel all live shows and tours for the next few months
Stay up to date with the latest Jimmy Barnes news here.
‘I’m really sorry’: Jimmy Barnes pulls out of By The C festival in Torquay
Pneumonia itself is an infection of the lungs, typically caused by bacteria, viruses, or other microorganisms. The infection usually begins in the respiratory tract and can lead to inflammation and the accumulation of fluid or pus in the air sacs of the lungs. The direct spread of pneumonia to the heart is not a common occurrence.
Complications of pneumonia, rather than direct spread, can affect the heart. These complications may include:
- Sepsis: In severe cases of pneumonia, the infection can spread to the bloodstream, leading to a condition called sepsis. Sepsis can affect various organs, including the heart, and may lead to cardiovascular problems.
- Myocarditis: Although rare, pneumonia complications can cause inflammation of the heart muscle (myocarditis). This inflammation can affect the heart's ability to pump blood efficiently and may lead to serious complications.
- Pericarditis: Pneumonia-related inflammation can extend to the pericardium, the sac surrounding the heart. Pericarditis can cause chest pain and may lead to complications affecting the heart's function.
"Obviously this is going to take me out of action for a while," Barnes continued. "I know lots of other people are battling even worse things but it still feels hugely frustrating. Just a few weeks ago I was the fittest I've been in decades!
"Anyway, as you can hopefully appreciate, this has all happened very suddenly so it's going to take a few days for everyone to figure out what's going to be doable with my upcoming shows. I'm really sorry for all the inconvenience this will cause but please be patient while my team works hard to figure things out. A new plan will be announced as soon as possible.
"In the meantime I'd like to thank my darling Jane for her around the clock love and care over the last few weeks in particular - as always I'd be lost without her. I'd also like to thank the doctors and nurses who've been amazing and all the people who have sent me 'get well' messages. You've all lifted my spirits and I'm sincerely grateful.
"Given the serious nature of this operation I probably won't be posting again for the next few weeks so all the best to you and yours for the holidays. Here's hoping 2024 is full of much better things!
"Love from Jimmy."
Jimmy Barnes' age
Jimmy Barnes is 67-years-old, he was born in Glasgow, Scotland on 28 April 1956. Despite fears Barnes may have developed COVID-19, Barnes revealed it was instead bacterial pneumonia, saying after pulling out of By The C festival in Torquay that he'd been “receiving intravenous antibiotics over the last 36 hours to treat bacterial pneumonia.”
“I know a lot of people travel a long way for this gig so I’m really sorry that I won’t be able to see you in Torquay as I’d hoped”, Barnes said on December 4.
“This infection has knocked me for six so there’s no chance that the Doctors will let me out of bed for the next few days. I’d like to thank my dear friends Mossy, Jon and Daryl, plus my wonderful kids Mahalia and David for putting together this unique show with my live band. It’s never been done before so I wish I could be there to see it myself! Again, I’d like to apologise to everyone – if I could be there I would be there – but it’s still going to be a helluva show.”
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What is bacterial pneumonia?
Bacterial pneumonia is a type of lung infection caused by bacteria. The infection leads to inflammation of the air sacs in one or both lungs, which may fill with fluid or pus, causing symptoms such as cough, chest pain, difficulty breathing, and fever.
There are various bacteria that can cause pneumonia, with Streptococcus pneumoniae being one of the most common culprits. Other bacteria that can cause bacterial pneumonia include Haemophilus influenzae, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Mycoplasma pneumoniae.
Bacterial pneumonia can affect people of all ages, but certain groups, such as the elderly, young children, and individuals with weakened immune systems, are more vulnerable to severe complications. The infection is typically spread through respiratory droplets from an infected person, and risk factors include chronic lung diseases, smoking, and other conditions that compromise the immune system.
Barnes' health
At this same point last year, Barnes was forced to withdraw from a swathe of summer tour dates as he required essential hip and back surgery.
“I’ve had niggling back and hip issues for years, but things suddenly got a lot worse over the last few weeks and I’m now in constant and severe pain," Barnes said in November, 2022. "As everybody knows, it’s against my religion to blow out gigs but the Doctors tell me I need an operation as soon as possible and it will really limit my movement for a few months. As much as it kills me to inconvenience everyone, I have to get this fixed so I can jump around onstage for another 50 years.”
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