Brian May says he was “very near death” after suffering a heart attack and undergoing emergency surgery.

The Queen guitarist revealed the news on Instagram, telling his 2.4 million followers: “I want to tell you the truth about what happened.”

Earlier this month, the 72-year-old was left unable to walk or sleep after ripping a muscle in his buttock while gardening.

During examinations for that injury, doctors discovered something “more bizarre and shocking”.

May explained: “I had a small heart attack.”

The rock star described being driven to hospital by his doctor after experiencing pain in his chest for about 40 minutes, as well as sweating and suffering pain in his arms.

After receiving an angiogram (an X-ray which uses dye to examine blood vessels in the heart), May said it became clear his case was “more complicated than I thought”.

May wrote: “I had three arteries which were congested, and in danger of blocking the supply of blood to my heart…

“There was a lot of pressure from some quarters to have open heart surgery where they saw through your rib cage and have a triple heart bypass…

“A lot of people said: ‘If you don’t do this you’re throwing away your only opportunity and you’ll regret it for the rest of your life’.

“But I had other people telling me: ‘Look, you don’t need to do this, you could have three stents put in and you can walk tonight.'”

After a lot of deliberation, May opted to have the stents inserted. This is where are small tubes placed into an artery to help keep it open.

May described being in “agony” during his hospital stay, but says his pain was down to his ripped gluteus maximus injury rather than his heart.

He described it as “excruciating” and “like someone putting a screwdriver in your back”.

The guitarist said he “had to be put under” as he was “writhing about and pulling my tubes out because of the pain in my leg”. He now has painkillers to manage the discomfort.

Leaving the hospital the day after his surgery, May says: “I’ve walked out now with a very strong heart, so I think I’m in good shape for a long time to come. And, if not I can go back for another angiogram.”

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May – who is married to former EastEnders star Anita Dobson – says he thinks everyone over the age of 60 should get their heart checked – even if they believe they are in good health.

He says he previously considered himself to be “a really healthy guy”, keeping fit and following a healthy diet and always getting good blood pressure and heart rate results.

May signed off by telling fans not to worry about him, reassuring them: “I didn’t die, I came out… I’m here and I’m ready to rock”.