Robert Fripp was rushed to hospital after suffering a heart attack. The King Crimson musician, 78, detailed the health issue in a new video alongside his wife and singer Toyah Willcox. Last month, the guitarist had travelled abroad to Italy and had believed he was suffering from a bout of acid reflux in the weeks leading up to his trip. He had endured something similar a few years prior and admitted he didn't think much of his sudden "discomfort". But the day he flew to Italy his health had worsened.

He was due to perform at an Orchestra of Crafty Guitarists event at Castione della Presolana but after landing Fripp was transported to a cardiac hospital in Bergamo and while he thought he might of been prescribed with acid reflux medication, doctors soon became concerned as they noted alarmingly high troponin levels in his blood, which can be a sign of a recent heart attack.

In the candid video shared at the weekend, Willcox, 66, commented: “He had a heart attack two weeks ago. And you were in the right place, in the right time, and I am so grateful, because you’ve been through a lot.”

Fripp underwent “five hours of surgery, intensive care, then a second surgery.”

He explained: “I was in A&E [accident and emergency], not quite knowing what was going on, other than I knew they were going to do something. And an orderly came along and shaved my balls!”

Fripp said with a laugh. “The dear man, I really didn’t wish his job on him at that point. Now this is the thing, you’re concerned with my heart? Fine. What are you doing shaving my balls!”

The guitarist has since returned to the UK and is recovering from his emergency surgery. He went on to say that he was diagnosed with a tri-furcated artery and a pair of stents inserted during two operations.

Fripp noted that after being released from the hospital in Italy, he still managed to play his scheduled gig.

“You went to work,” Wilcox quipped, to which Fripp replied, “No, dear, I went to play with my friends. And the performance in the church at in Castione della Presolana, it was stunning on the Saturday night. The audience were prepped with orchestral maneuvers, and it really was a magical event for me.”

He ended the video by encouraging people who think they have heart burn or acid reflux to "really look into it" because "it might be something more".