Guitar legend Eddie Van Halen [ tickets ] recently underwent surgery to resolve debilitating pain in one of his hands, Rolling Stone reports.

"During the last leg of our tour, I started developing pain in my thumb and my pinky," Van Halen told Rolling Stone. "I didn't think much of it at the time. It got progressively worse to the point that about three months ago I wasn't able to play at all. My pinky and thumb were totally locked up and felt like there was something broken.

Specialists in Dusseldorf, Germany, initially diagnosed the guitarist with arthritis, but ultimately discovered a bone spur, twisted tendon and a cyst in his left-thumb joint.

"Surgery was a success, now I just have to let it heal," he was quoted as saying. "I am totally jazzed that they found the problem, fixed it and in about four months my hand will feel like I am 18 again. Thank God."

Last month, Van Halen married longtime girlfriend Janie Liszewski. The guitarist said earlier this year that he and his brother, drummer Alex Van Halen, plan to record with their namesake band a new album that will feature original singer David Lee Roth and Eddie's son, 17-year-old Wolfgang Van Halen, on bass. No timetable for the project has been announced.