Captain Lee Rosbach is giving fans an unprecedented look at his next chapter, and this time, there won’t be a yacht involved. The Below Deck star has announced that he’s undergoing a major surgery and plans to document the entire experience for fans.
In a new video, Captain Lee revealed that the procedure is scheduled for October 15 and said he’ll be taking viewers along for what he described as a “big surgery” that is expected to last four to six hours.
“You’re going to ride with me to the hospital,” Captain Lee said, explaining that fans will also see his consultations with his medical team and hear the candid conversations surrounding the procedure. And yes, that includes the operating room.
“Yeah, you’re gonna be in the OR,” he teased.
Captain Lee said the surgery stems from the serious back and leg issues he experienced around the time of Below Deck Season 10, when he ultimately wasn’t invited back for Season 11. He explained that advances in medicine have given him a new option and that he hopes the procedure will help him “get my life back to normal.”
The captain also revealed that there are two phases to the surgery, although he isn’t sharing those details just yet. Instead, he plans to provide updates every two or three days across TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X and YouTube.
Eventually, Captain Lee said the footage will be assembled into a roughly 30-minute documentary covering the entire procedure.
“I wanted to take all of you on the same journey that I’m going to make,” he explained.
Fans immediately rallied around the Below Deck favorite, with many sending prayers and wishing him a smooth recovery. One Instagram commenter even perfectly summed up the unusual premise, writing, “This will be like Below Deck for surgery.”
Another fan asked what surgery Captain Lee is actually having, while others repeatedly told him they miss seeing him on Below Deck. One of his X followers simply wrote, “Miss you on deck,” while another sent him “healing vibes and fair winds.”
Captain Lee acknowledged that he’s anxious about the procedure but said he’s looking forward to getting “back to me being me.”
“I guess it just doesn’t feel right not being able to do the things that I used to do,” he said.
For now, Captain Lee is asking fans to stay tuned for the next phase of the journey — and promising they’ll get an unusually candid look at what happens next.