Adele needs surgery to save voice

The singer Adele is to undergo surgery in an attempt to cure the throat problems threatening to permanently wreck her voice.

The star was forced to apologise to fans last month for calling off a US tour after being diagnosed with a vocal cord haemorrhage, and has now been forced to pull out of all her remaining commitments for the rest of the year – including a string of shows in the UK next month.

A statement released on her behalf said: "It is with deep regret that Adele has been forced to cancel her remaining live dates and promotional appearances in 2011. She is to undergo surgery to alleviate the current issues with her throat and a full recovery is expected. As a result, doctors have ordered her to rest her voice and completely recuperate before looking to schedule any work commitments."

In a lengthy blog entry about her condition earlier this month, the singer said she was "heartbroken and worried" by her ongoing problems. "I have absolutely no choice but to recuperate properly and fully, or I risk damaging my voice forever," she wrote.

Adele has experienced astonishing sales success this year with three million copies of her second album 21 sold in the UK. She said in her blog that her voice had "switched off" entirely on a number of occasions in recent months.

Earlier in the year she struggled through shows with a chest infection and it later transpired she also had a problem with her vocal cords.