California-Lindsey Buckingham's vocal cords have been damaged during emergency heart surgery but he is now recuperating at home. Lindsey Buckingham's vocal cords have been damaged during emergency heart surgery.

The former Fleetwood Mac star underwent open heart surgery last week and while he is now recuperating at home, his wife Kristen Buckingham has revealed that he suffered damage to his vocal cords.

She wrote in a statement: ''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 the damage is permanent, we are hopeful it is not.

''This past year has been a very stressful and difficult year for our family to say the least. But despite all of this, our gratitude for life trumps all obstacles we have faced at this moment. We feel so fortunate that he's alive. As does he. He looks forward to recovery and putting this behind him. Needless to say, all touring and shows currently schedule have been put on pause for the moment as he gathers the strength to heal completely.''

Lindsey, 69, was ousted from Fleetwood Mac in January 2018 and he later filed a lawsuit alleging breach of fiduciary duty and breach of oral contract. He recently revealed that he and the band had settled the lawsuit.

He said: ''We've all signed off on something. I'm happy enough with it. I'm not out there trying to twist the knife at all. I'm trying to look at this with some level of compassion, some level of wisdom.''

He also admitted that he has not spoken to any of his former bandmates - Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, Christine McVie, and Stevie Nicks - since he was sacked but said that Christine recently reached out to him.

He said: ''I have had, only in the last couple of weeks, I have gotten an email, which I expected to get, from Christine McVie. She wrote me an email and basically said, 'Dearest Lindsey, just know that I had nothing to do with any of this. Know that I miss you so much.' She said, 'I believe deep in Stevie's heart that she would like you to come home.'''

The 'Chain' group enlisted Crowded House's Neil Finn and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell to replace Lindsey.

Fleetwood Mac previously stopped short of saying Lindsey was fired but admitted they ''hit a brick wall'' with him that wouldn't allow the band to ''go forward'' if he stayed.

Mick said: ''Words like 'fired' are ugly references as far as I'm concerned. ''Not to hedge around, but we arrived at the impasse of hitting a brick wall.

''This was not a happy situation for us in terms of the logistics of a functioning band. To that purpose, we made a decision that we could not go on with him. ''Majority rules in term of what we need to do as a band and go forward.''