Melania Trump underwent 'big' 4-hour operation, can’t travel for month, president says

Mrs. Trump was treated for a benign kidney condition, the White House said.

June 8, 2018, 1:58 PM

President Donald Trump revealed new details about the medical procedure his wife received last month, which the White House said was for a benign kidney condition.

“First lady is great. Right there!” Trump said Friday while pointing to the White House residence as he left for the G7 summit in Canada. “She wanted to go. Can’t fly for one month the doctors say. She had a big operation. That was close to a four-hour operation. And she’s doing great.”

Last year, Melania Trump joined the president for his first G7 trip to Taormina, Italy, where she participated in public appearances with the spouses of other G7 leaders.

Mrs. Trump has kept a low profile ever since undergoing a surgical procedure to treat what her office described as a “benign kidney condition” on May 14.

After the procedure, which Mrs. Trump’s communications director, Stephanie Grisham, said was a success and without complication, the first lady spent the better part of a week recovering in the hospital before returning home to the White House.

Asked about Trump's comments, Dr. Eric Ascher, a medical consultant for ABC News, said the time needed for the procedure can vary and could take from one to four hours or longer depending on prep and immediate recovery.

Doctors will recommend not flying for four to six weeks after a procedure to prevent a blood clot from forming. Any procedure comes with risk of infection as does travel, and oftentimes doctors will suggest not traveling to decrease risk of infection and being further away from your doctors and medical care, Ascher said.

On Wednesday, Mrs. Trump attended her first public event in 27 days when she joined her husband for a hurricane briefing at Federal Emergency Management Headquarters.

“She went through a little rough patch, but she’s doing great. And we’re very proud of her,” the president told reporters at FEMA.

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