The first lady's office announced the first lady had the procedure Monday. President Trump was at the White House Monday when her surgery occurred.
The president flew via Marine One Monday afternoon to visit the flagship military hospital in Bethesda, Maryland – avoiding a movement that otherwise might have snarled Washington D.C.'s traffic at rush hour.
Melania Trump underwent an embolization procedure, likely to remove a cyst from her kidney. Her office said it was benign, or non-cancerous.
The president spent about an hour at the hospital, then traveled back to the White House via motorcade due to a powerful thunderstorm that was making its way through the Washington, D.C. area.
The procedure should have the first lady in the hospital through the week – an extended stay that could speak to the seriousness of the needed time for recovery and monitoring.
The president didn't respond to questions as he approached the presidential helicopter en route to the military hospital in Bethesda, Maryland.
Under such a procedure, doctors block a flood vessel in order to stop blood flow to a specific area and stop a patient from bleeding.
'This morning, First Lady Melania Trump underwent an embolization procedure to treat a benign kidney condition,' according to a statement from her communications director, Stephanie Grisham.
'The procedure was successful and there were no complications. Mrs. Trump is at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and will likely remain there for the duration of the week,' her communications director Stephanie Grisham said in the statement.
'The First Lady looks forward to a full recovery so she can continue her work on behalf of children everywhere,' she said, in reference to her recently launched campaign.
The first lady is 48 years old.
The statement was released after the surgery was completed.
A senior administration official told ABC News Trump spoke to his wife before the procedure and talked to her doctor afterward.
No comments: