Dame Barbara Windsor underwent a heart operation after her Alzheimer’s medication caused her to faint at home.
In May, the EastEnders icon revealed she’d been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2014 but opted to keep her diagnosis private.
Her husband Scott Mitchell has now said the 81-year-old has had a pacemaker fitted after spending eight days in hospital last month following complications with the medication she’s been taking.
Read more: Barbara Windsor sends Jane Moore emotional message on Loose Women
Scott told The Sun: “Barbara was suffering from a low heart rate which doctors thought was being caused by some of her medication.
“She was getting very dizzy and short of breath and fainted one day at home, so she had an eight-day hospital spell about four weeks ago and they’ve put in a pacemaker for her.
“But she’s recovering really well and is looking forward to getting out on the town again soon.”
A pacemaker can help patients who have an issue with a slow heart rate, as it sends regular electrical impulses which keeps the heart beating regularly.
Ross Kemp, who played Babs’ on-screen son Grant Mitchell in EastEnders, visited the Carry On star in June.
He told Good Morning Britain at the time: “I went around for a cup of tea and I was there for three and a half hours. I had five cups of tea and three shortbread biscuits, which I’m not supposed to have on my diet, and I laughed a lot.
“Her and her husband Scott have been very brave putting it out there and hopefully it will help other people with the same condition be more open about it.
“What she has done is very brave, she has a great husband in Scott. The more we talk about any issue in our life, the better we are dealing with it.”
Dame Barbara, who played Walford matriarch Peggy Mitchell, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2014.
Scott revealed the devastating news in an emotional interview with The Sun in May, saying the time had come to make her diagnosis public as it was becoming harder to “hide” her symptoms in public.
After the news emerged, a string of famous faces sent the actress their well-wishes including Ross, Paul O’Grady and her EastEnders co-stars Rita Simmons and Jake Wood.
Babs previously thanked her fans for their outpouring of love and support for her.
During a phone call on Loose Women in May, Babs said the heartfelt messages she’s received from fans “really means such a lot to me.”
The actress added: “I still intend to carry on, and God bless everyone.”
Read more: Paul O’Grady sends message of support to Barbara Windsor