Dave Mustaine said he plans to have surgery for a hand condition after Megadeth’s farewell tour ends, told Musora. He expressed concern that the operation might not succeed and could leave him unable to play guitar.
Mustaine was asked about an injury to his hand. He explained that the condition is genetic and affects some people but not others.
“Look at my hand,” Mustaine said. “I’ve got an injury on my hand. It’s just genetic, which is something that just happens to people. Some people get it, some people don’t.”
Mustaine said he will address the problem once the band’s retirement tour is finished. However, he is uncertain about the result.
“When we’re done with our retirement tour, I am going to do something about it,” he continued. “I just don’t know if it’s going to be successful or not.”
The guitarist wants to make sure Megadeth completes all the work they have planned before the surgery takes place. He is worried about losing the ability to play if the operation goes wrong.
“And I want to make sure that I’ve gotten everything that we want to do before I go and get surgery done in case I can’t play anymore,” Mustaine said.
Mustaine made these comments as he discussed his decision to delay treatment until after the band’s farewell tour. The surgery represents a significant risk to his career as a musician.
Mustaine has been diagnosed with Dupuytren’s contracture, a condition that causes tissue under the skin of the palms to tighten and fingers to curl inward. The condition is often called Viking Disease because it is common in Northern European populations. Mustaine announced his retirement in September 2026 at a book launch event for his memoir at the Kaufman Music Center in New York City.
The farewell tour began in February 2026 and will continue through 2027 with dates across North America, Europe, Asia, Oceania and potentially Africa and India. According to Mustaine, the band is “easily talking about touring for another three to five years”. Megadeth released their most recent and final studio album, titled Megadeth, in 2026, which became their first album to reach number one on the Billboard 200.
This is Mustaine’s second major health challenge in recent years. In 2019, he was diagnosed with throat cancer, and he told a London audience in January 2020 that he is “100 percent free of cancer”. He has been in remission since that time.
Surgery outcomes for Dupuytren’s contracture vary among patients. Some musicians diagnosed with the condition, including classical pianist Misha Dichter and folk musician Ellis Paul, have returned to performing after surgery. Research shows that surgery success rates at two years are 78 percent compared to 65 percent for collagenase injection, though surgery achieves full or almost full correction in 75 percent of patients. However, post-operative complications occur in 46 percent of cases.
