Faith Hill Recovering From Neck Surgery

Country music star Faith Hill is recovering from neck surgery.

ByABC News
March 3, 2015, 8:13 AM

— -- When country music star Faith Hill hit the red carpet at the Academy Awards with a sleek, new pixie cut last month, fans were concerned when they spotted a scar on her neck.

Faith Hill has quite the neck scar! Hope she's OK,” one supporter wrote, while another added: "Just saw Faith Hill on the Red Carpet. Anybody know what that big scar on her neck is from?”

Citing a source, People magazine has reported that the 47-year-old, five-time Grammy Award winner is recovering from neck surgery. The source told People that Hill, the wife of fellow country music star, Tim McGraw, had surgery in January to correct damage caused by an old injury.

Representatives for Hill confirmed the report to ABC News.

Patrick Gomez, a staff writer for People, said Hill has been dealing with this issue for some time. He also said the “This Kiss” singer first underwent surgery in 2011 to help alleviate issues related to an injury sustained years before.

Doctors say the procedure Hill underwent is called anterior cervical discectomy and fusion, and they say it’s very common.

“We find it in elderly patients very frequently, but it can also occur in younger patients who have experienced some kind of trauma," said Dr. Joshua Bederson, chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery for Mount Sinai Health System, who did not treat Hill. "It does occur spontaneously from time to time.”

"Since the neck is so mobile any kind of minor injury can lead to a herniated disc or compression of the nerves," Bederson said.

Hill, who has three children, isn’t speaking publicly about her recovery, but the surgery isn’t slowing her down. She attended several parties following her husband’s Oscar tribute to country music singer Glen Campbell.

"Faith has been going to physical therapy and the source says her recovery is going well and Faith is getting better and better," Gomez said.