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Hours after hosting the Billboards, Kelly Clarkson has her appendix removed

Posted at 10:21 AM, May 03, 2019
and last updated 2019-05-03 10:21:25-04

Kelly Clarkson hosted the 2019 Billboard Music Awards on May 1, 2019 in Las Vegas.

Kelly Clarkson had her appendix removed just hours after hosting the Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas on Wednesday night, the singer confirmed in a tweet.

The surgery was performed at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles early Thursday morning, said Clarkson, who also tweeted that she is “feeling awesome now!” Her post was a response to Buzzfeed reporter Jarett Wieselman, who commended her for a performance under pressure that did not show “any sign of discomfort.”

“Not gonna lie…. I may or may not have broken down in tears after the show from pain BUT thanks 2 all the amazing people @ Cedars-Sinai I flew home directly after the event, nailed the surgery early this morning,” the singer tweeted along with a #TheShowMustGoOn.

Appendicitis — inflammation of the appendix, a finger-shaped pouch that sits on the lower right-hand side of the colon — is a common surgical emergency, with over 250,000 cases each year in the United States. A blockageinside of the appendix causes appendicitis. Most people experience sudden pain that begins around the navel and then moves deeper into the abdomen and increases as the inflammation worsens.

Anyone can develop appendicitis, but most often it occurs in people between the ages of 10 and 30, according to the Mayo Clinic. Surgical removal of the appendix is the standard of care, though in some cases it can be treated non-operatively with antibiotics.

Scientists believe the appendix has no specific purpose or function so its removal is not a cause for concern.

Clarkson, 37, ignited the music scene after winning the first season of “American Idol” in 2002. Some of her records have topped the charts and earned her two Grammy awards.

Prior to Wednesday night’s Billboard Awards show, for which she served as both host and executive producer, she said in a statement: “I had so much fun hosting the Billboard Music Awards last year that I’m back for more. We’re turning it up a notch this year, and I can’t wait to celebrate all of my fellow amazing artists for another unforgettable night of live music.”