Dame Shirley Bassey in 5am dash for emergency stomach surgery

11 April 2012
The Weekender

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Dame Shirley Bassey is recovering from emergency stomach surgery, it was revealed last night.


The 71 year-old singing legend was admitted to hospital in Monaco, where she lives, at 5am last Friday after complaining of severe abdominal pain.

Dame Shirley Bassey pictured here at a gala ball, is still in hospital

Dame Shirley Bassey pictured here at a gala ball, is still in hospital

Doctors diagnosed a blockage in her intestine and she was immediately taken into surgery.

Paul Carey, Dame Shirley's spokesman, said the singer was recovering well at the Princess Grace of Monaco private hospital.

'People always remark on how fit she looks,' he added. 'She goes to the gym and she's very active for a 71 year-old. That's probably why shewas aware straight away that something was wrong.'

Asif Haq, a laparoscopic colorectal surgeon at King's College, London, said: 'The risks with operating on older people increase markedly and it can take twice as long to recover.

'If Dame Shirley is able to leave hospital relatively quickly, it sounds as if she may have had a twisted bowel rather than a blockage which might suggest she had bowel cancer.'

The Cardiff-born singer is expected to recover in time for her performance at Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday concert in Hyde Park next month.

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