PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — For the first time in nearly five months, British soul singer Adele took the stage to perform live.

Adele, who had the top selling album of 2011, was forced to stop performing after a polyp developed on her vocal cord. But with laser surgery, the singer returned to the stage Sunday night at the Grammy Awards sounding better than ever.

At just 23-years-old, Adele became an enormous success; but suddenly, the music died.

• 60 Minutes: “The year of Adele”

The British soul singer has sold 12 million copies of “21″ in the past year. But last October, she fell silent, canceling her tour and wondering if she would ever sing again.

She was suffering from vocal bleeding.

“That’s exactly what the problem often is in a singer,” said Dr. Stephen Zeitels, of Massachusetts General Hospital. “Unstable blood vessels will burst and when you have vocal bleeding you simply can’t perform.”

Adele entrusted her voice and her career to Dr. Zeitels, the director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Voice Center. He’s saved the voices of singers ranging from Cher to Lionel Richie, The Who’s Roger Daltry, and even Julie Andrews.

He’s fixed their vocal cords by using laser technology, enabling them to sing again in just a matter of weeks. Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler is another of his success stories.

“It’s exactly the technology I used with Steven Tyler,” said Dr. Zeitels. “It’s exactly what I use to treat all cancers endoscopically. It’s a wonderful technology.”

The surgery technique used to treat Adele’s vocal cords can also be used to remove cancerous polyps.

Adele received a standing ovation after singing at the Grammy Awards show Sunday night and she walked away with four awards.

RELATED LINKS:
More Grammy Awards News
More Entertainment News