Mark Feehily, singer of the Irish pop group Westlife, is pursuing legal action against a surgeon following complications from a weight-loss procedure that he says ended his live performing career and nearly cost him his life. The 46-year-old underwent a laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy at Spire Portsmouth Hospital in Hampshire on August 1, 2020, intended to aid his weight loss. However, Feehily alleges that the operation, performed by bariatric surgeon Nick Carter, was poorly executed, leaving behind a portion of stomach tissue that subsequently became infected.

According to court documents, the retained tissue led to a dangerous leak in Feehily’s abdomen, triggering severe infections and repeated bouts of sepsis requiring multiple hospital admissions. These complications culminated in a total gastrectomy — the surgical removal of his entire stomach — carried out in May 2023. Feehily also underwent a fourth surgery later that year in Dublin to repair a large incisional hernia that further impacted his health and forced him to step back from touring with Westlife.

Feehily, who has openly shared his health struggles with fans in recent years, was admitted to intensive care shortly after the initial surgery in August 2020 and spent months hospitalized amid the COVID-19 lockdowns, unable to receive visitors from his family. His legal claim, filed in the High Court’s King’s Bench Division in June 2022, contends that Carter was negligent in the surgical procedure. Carter, however, denies any wrongdoing, stating that leaving some stomach tissue was a deliberate and appropriate part of the operation and that leakage is a known risk in approximately 1% of cases, which does not necessarily indicate negligence.

The claim is valued at over £200,000, meeting the threshold for access to a higher court where Feehily’s legal team can seek a larger compensation if successful. The court has scheduled a preliminary five-day split trial between May and July to determine whether Carter was negligent and whether this directly caused Feehily’s severe post-operative complications. This initial hearing will not address damages.

Despite his health challenges, Feehily has returned to broadcasting as the presenter of "Mark Feehily’s Musical Icons" on Ireland’s RTÉ Radio 1. He described adjusting from the physical demands of stadium tours to the different pressures of studio work, emphasizing the need to focus on his recovery. While he remains involved with Westlife behind the scenes, his bandmates Shane Filan, Kian Egan, and Nicky Byrne have expressed their support, affirming he can rejoin the group’s live performances when ready. The other three recently completed a 13-night residency in Dublin and are set to begin a UK tour in Aberdeen.