Korn Guitarist Brian ‘Head’ Welch Thanks Fans After Kidney Stone Surgery

Kidney stones can cause a great deal of pain, and this past week Korn guitarist Brian 'Head' Welch was admitted to a hospital in Russia to address the condition. Turns out he had to undergo surgery, and he just posted about it online.

Head checked in online ahead of the surgery with a photo post in which he asked fans for their prayers and later ventured back online after the operation with a message at his Facebook page stating, "Thank U so much for all your comments / messages on Twitter/Facebook. I've read them ALL. Thank U. Surgery went well. Looks like it's all over." Head's photo post asking for prayers can also be seen below.

Welch was admitted to Krasnoyarsk Hospital on Monday (May 19) and was expected to remain hospitalized for a few days while doctors took care of his kidney stone. Korn are currently touring Russia with Soulfly, and have dates booked through May 28. It is not known how long it will take the guitarist to recover or if he will re-join the band by the end of the run.

In the interim, Korn have employed Love and Death guitarist JR Bareis as a fill-in. Bareis plays with Welch in Love and Death, and has served as Welch's guitar tech while Korn has been out on tour.