As he announced at a press conference in Tokyo on August 1st, YOSHIKI — the leader of beloved Japanese band X JAPAN and celebrated composer — must undergo a third neck surgery as soon as possible, on the advice of multiple doctors. However, due to his schedule commitments over the next couple months, YOSHIKI has decided to undertake the cervical artificial disc replacement surgery on October 8th, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Beverly Hills, California.
YOSHIKI was diagnosed with cervical foraminal stenosis, leading to a cervical laminectomy and a cervical foraminotomy, back in 2009. Six years later, the musician underwent his second surgery — involving the insertion of an artificial cervical disc in his neck — due to a herniated disc and severe paralysis of his left hand and arm. YOSHIKI is currently suffering from chronic neck pain and continued issues with his hand, affecting not only onstage performances but also everyday activities.
“I started feeling this pain last year, then it increased severely during the past few months,” YOSHIKI commented. “Right now, I cannot feel my left hand and I’m having severe burning sensations in my left fingers. Fortunately, my motor neurons are still intact, but the sensory nerves are damaged. Everything I touch feels like ice, including my piano keys. It’s unbearable. I know I should have this surgery immediately, but I need to honor the commitments I’ve already made to my fans and friends. Over the next two months, I have to cancel a significant amount of my schedule, but I will still make a few appearances. In terms of playing piano in my shows, I may have to use my right hand more than my left hand because of the pain. Then, in October, I have to cancel pretty much all my schedule.
He continued: “I know this will affect many people. I’m very sorry for this. After my surgery, I hope that I can get back to life, including being on stage, before the end of the year. Again, I apologize to everyone for the inconvenience, and I really appreciate all my fans’ support.”
Doctor Todd Lanman, M.D., the spinal neurosurgeon who will perform the operation in October, said, “YOSHIKI has already had a cervical artificial disc replacement in C5-C6. After evaluating the MRI, CT scans, and X-rays, we see a spur in the right C5 affecting the nerve ridge and a protruding disc in C6-C7. More importantly, we also see that C5-C6 is fused and not moving, and that’s exerting exceptional pressure below at C6-C7 and generating a significant amount of pain.”
Dr. Tommy Tomizawa, M.D., added: “I oversee YOSHIKI’s health in the U.S. Unfortunately, he will be going through severe pain for the next two months. In order to delay the operation, we will mitigate that pain as much as possible through medication and therapy. His commitment as a performer is second to none. Unfortunately, this dedication has caused a significant amount of damage to his body. It’s clear that YOSHIKI’s pain will only increase if we don’t intervene immediately.”
As of now, YOSHIKI is committed to 13 shows and multiple appearances around the world including Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and the U.S. in August and September. Following the surgery, doctors anticipate that he will require several months to recover and gradually restart physical activities, and he will remain under close medical supervision. At that time, YOSHIKI will consult with doctors about resuming live performances, and discuss with his team whether to cancel, postpone or move forward as scheduled.