Sir Elton John is recovering at his home in the south of France after having his appendix removed.
The singer was forced to pull out of a series of shows after being diagnosed with appendicitis last month.He had the operation at Monaco's Princess Grace Hospital on Thursday and is recuperating at his mansion in Nice.
Last month the veteran musician claimed he could have died at any time while struggling through his European tour unaware he was suffering from the condition.
Sir Elton, 66, told The Sun: "I was a ticking time bomb. I guess I could have died at any time. I feel so lucky and grateful to be alive."
The chart star said he performed 10 concerts in pain, which he had thought was due to food poisoning. But he was finally forced to walk off stage during a concert in Halle, Germany, on July 5.
Doctors advised him to cancel the tour, including a headline performance at London's Hyde Park last month.
A statement on behalf of the singer said he had been diagnosed with an "appendix abscess surrounding retrocaecal appendicitis".
He is expected to be well enough to attend an event in central London on September 2 at which he will perform and collect his Brits Icon Award.
It is the latest health scare for the singer.
Last year he cancelled a number of shows as a result of a respiratory infection which struck him during a series of US dates. He also missed concerts due to food poisoning.
In 1999 he had a pacemaker fitted after doctors found he had an irregular heartbeat.