Katya Zamolodchikova Opens Up About Emergency Surgery: 'Absolute Hell on Earth'

RuPaul's Drag Race icon Katya Zamolodchikova is providing fans with a detailed account of her recent health crisis.

The 44-year-old performer took to social media on Sunday, May 10, to explain what led to her hospitalization and subsequent cancellation of a Netflix Is a Joke performance with Trixie Mattel. In the post, Zamolodchikova revealed she underwent emergency abdominal surgery to address a serious intestinal issue.

"I had to do an emergency abdominal surgery," she shared alongside a selfie. "There was a bowel obstruction in my small intestine. They had to decompress my stomach, flush out of intestines and remove and reattach a small part of my small and large intestine."

The drag superstar described the 10-day hospital stay in stark terms, noting she spent the duration with a nasogastric tube inserted through her nose to manage fluid buildup. "I was in the hospital with an NG tube down my nose into stomach pumping fluid up and out of my body for 10 days without being able to eat or drink. It was absolute hell on earth," she stated.

Zamolodchikova expressed gratitude toward the medical professionals who treated her at Cedars Sinai, specifically acknowledging Dr. Matthew Bloom, Dr. Sydney Caputo, and Nurse Audrey for their care throughout the ordeal.

"But the tube is gone, I am eating and drinking and am back at home," she concluded, signaling her recovery is underway. The announcement comes after she and Mattel withdrew from their scheduled comedy show to prioritize her health and recuperation.