Jimmy Barnes Undergoing Emergency Open-Heart Surgery After Bacterial Infection Spreads

Jimmy Barnes has revealed he’ll be undergoing emergency open-heart surgery today (December 13), after his ongoing bacterial infection – for which he was hospitalised in the last week of November – spread to his heart.

“It's infected an otherwise healthy valve that was replaced some years ago due to a congenital defect,” he wrote in a statement shared online around 8:30am, “so l'll be getting open-heart surgery over the next few

hours to clear out this infection and put in a clean valve.”

Barnes went on to explain that the surgery “is going to take me out of action for a while”, noting his frustration: “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!”

For the time being, it’s unclear what this situation means for Barnes’ upcoming tour obligations. He added: “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.”

Rounding out the statement, Barnes shared some personal thanks. “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,” he wrote. “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!”

Read Barnes’ full statement below.

Barnes has kept active on social media over the past few weeks, relieving fans with regular updates to let us know he’s in good care.