In September 1999 Zavaroni was admitted to University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff for the psychosurgical operation. It took place on 7 September and was described as "pioneering". After the operation, she appeared to be in satisfactory condition and after a week she was "making telephone calls, cheerful and engaging in conversation," even asking her doctor if he thought there was any chance that she would get back on stage and sing again. However, three weeks after the operation, she contracted pneumonia which saw her weight drop to less than five stone (70 lb, 32 kg), and died from bronchial pneumonia on 1 October.