The Wanted star Max George has said a lung biopsy could shed light on the heart problems that led to him having a pacemaker fitted.
After feeling unwell in December, the 36-year-old singer was taken to hospital where doctors discovered a “block” – meaning his heart was beating with an abnormal rhythm.
“The doctors have discovered enlarged lymph nodes on my lungs,” he told The Sun.
“This could be a sign of what caused my heart problems.
“I’ve got to have a lung biopsy in a couple of weeks. It sounds pretty gnarly. It might tell us what the cause was.”
The procedure involves a small piece of lung tissue being removed and sent to a laboratory to be examined and checked for abnormal cells, according to the NHS.
George recounted preparing for his own death from his hospital bed, convinced he would die before receiving lifesaving surgery, in another interview with the publication.
“If I could go from being absolutely on top of the world to being told ‘the bottom part of your heart isn’t working’, I kept thinking in my head, ‘Well, what if the top half stops working overnight?’,” he said.
To add to his fears, he said he was by far the youngest patient on his ward, surrounded by patients at least three decades older.
He said he thought of his girlfriend, actress Maisie Smith, 23, and his family and what would happen if the worst occurred.
“That first night I wrote a will, I thought I was going to die,” the musician said.
“When you get told that, you really realise what your responsibilities are. I’ve got a partner, Maisie, I’ve got a family. I’ve got two little nephews and all of that stuff really comes to the front of it all.”
He said he took out his phone and wrote his will, detailing what to do with his assets in case he did not make it.
The singer shared updates with fans on social media throughout the entire process and detailed how he had a pacemaker fitted in surgery that took two and a half hours.
While the procedure was complicated by collapsed veins caused by his condition, he was able to return home before the holiday season.
He said the implanted device, which helps to control heart rate, was “the best Christmas present”.
He wrote in a post after returning home: “Say hello to my little friend!
“Given the last 10 days, this is the best Christmas present I could’ve ever wished for.
“Pacemaker is in. Operation took around two and a half hours. The main issue being some of my veins had collapsed where the wires were meant to go… But the surgeons and nurses at the NHS have been incredible. I owe everything to them.
“The surgeon kindly put my pacemaker just underneath a very special tattoo of mine. So I’m sure it’s being looked after.
“Few more tests to do due to inflamed lymph nodes on my lungs, but that’ll be easy work!
“Time to rest and then tackle life full on once again.
“Thank you for all your support. It’s meant a hell of a lot to myself and my family.”
The singer shared a photo to Instagram of his scar, which is just below the tattoo on the left side of his chest that says 04/08/1998, in reference to the birthday of his late bandmate Tom Parker, who died in 2022.
In an earlier update on December 16, George said he had “a 2:1 block in my heart” and would be undergoing heart surgery “way quicker than the doctors first thought”.
He previously said in a video on his Instagram stories that he was “hoping (for a) pacemaker”.
