The Ghost Inside guitarist Zach Johnson faces surgery setback

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By ( Metal Hammer ) published

The Ghost Inside guitarist Zach Johnson faces his 11th surgical procedure after x-ray shows his thigh bone hasn't healed properly

Zach Johnson performing with The Ghost Inside at Vans Warped Tour, 2014
Zach Johnson performing with The Ghost Inside at Vans Warped Tour, 2014 (Image credit: Getty)

The Ghost Inside’s Zach Johnson has been dealt yet another health blow to his recovery from the El Paso bus crash last November.

Both drivers were killed in the collision and the band have suffered varying degrees of injuries.

Guitarist Johnson has endured more than 26 hours of surgery since the incident, which left him with a severely broken pelvis, various broken bones and the loss of some of his toes.

He’s now facing his 11th procedure after an x-ray revealed his thigh bone hasn’t healed properly.

Johnson says: “I went in for a check up on my pelvis/hip. Then this came out of nowhere.

“Turns out my femur hasn’t healed – it could be due to infection or just bad luck. They’re setting up an array of tests, which will more than likely end up in surgery again, which would make it my 11th procedure.

“Life loves throwing curveballs, it’s just about how you handle them. The love and support from my brothers in the band, family, friends, and all of you means more to myself and the others than you’ll ever know. Keep swinging.”

Last month, vocalist Jonathan Vigil reported he was getting closer to walking again after his cast was removed from his leg.

The Ghost Inside are scheduled for 2017’s Vans Warped Tour, but Johnson says the band will take their time to recover before returning to the stage.

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Stray From The Path issue track in tribute to friends The Ghost Inside

Christina O'Neill

Former TeamRock news desk member Christina joined our team in late 2015, and although her time working on online rock news was fairly brief, she made a huge impact by contributing close to 1500 stories. Christina also interviewed artists including Deftones frontman Chino Moreno and worked at the Download festival. In late 2016, Christina left rock journalism to pursue a career in current affairs. In 2021, she was named Local Weekly Feature Writer of the Year at the Scottish Press Awards.