Bassist Ted Dwane of Mumford & Sons has been hospitalized for a blood clot in his brain, the Grammy-winning English folk band announced in a statement on its website on Tuesday.

"Our friend and bandmate Ted has been feeling unwell for a few days, and yesterday he was taken to a hospital to receive emergency treatment," the band wrote.

Brain scans indicated an embolism, a lodged blood clot, on the surface of Dwane's brain that required him to be hospitalized for immediate surgery, but the band expects a positive prognosis.

"Ted is receiving excellent care and we are being assured that he will recover quickly from surgery," they said in the statement. "We're all wishing Ted a speedy recovery."

Mumford & Sons are postponing three concerts in Dallas, in The Woodlands outside Houston, and New Orleans this week because of their bassist's hospitalization, but plan to announce rescheduled dates as soon as they know when Dwane is expected to recover from the operation.

The band, which is slated to play at the Bonnaroo Music Festival in Tennessee on June 15 and at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival the following week, said that they do not expect to cancel any other forthcoming appearances.

What Causes Blood Clots in the Brain?

Blood clots are clumps of blood cells that harden into a solid. While the formation of blood clots is a normal response to external injuries, clots that form in the bloodstream and travel to critical areas like the brain or lungs require immediate medical attention.

A blood clot that forms in a vein or artery is called a thrombus, which becomes an embolus when it breaks off and circulates to a different part of the body.

When an embolus lodges in a blood vessel in the brain, the embolism can easily cause cerebral ischemia, commonly referred to as a stroke, by cutting off oxygen flow to surrounding tissues. If the clot is not removed quickly, it can lead to brain damage or even death as the tissues suffocate.

According to MedLine Plus, people with certain hereditary blood conditions, cancer, recent injuries, obesity, liver, or kidney disease are at higher risk for blood clot formations that can lead to strokes.

Blood clots are also more likely to form in people who are dehydrated, or are sedentary for long periods of time — both conditions that musicians like the Mumford & Sons bassist might find themselves in while sitting in planes or cars for hours at a time during grueling tours.

Source: Vorvick LJ. Blood clots. Medline Plus. 2012.