First lady Melania Trump underwent kidney surgery Monday and is expected to remain hospitalized for several days, her spokeswoman said.
Trump had been experiencing issues with her kidney and was admitted at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center outside Washington, D.C., for an “embolization procedure,” the first lady’s communications director, Stephanie Grisham, said in a statement.
“The procedure was successful and there were no complications,” Grisham said, characterizing the 48-year-old first lady’s kidney condition as “benign.”
“The first lady looks forward to a full recovery so she can continue her work on behalf of children everywhere,” Grisham said, adding that Trump will “likely” stay at the hospital “for the duration of the week.”
President Donald Trump remained at the White House during his wife’s operation, but was expected to visit her Monday afternoon.
Trump is the first presidential spouse to undergo a medical procedure of such gravity while in the White House since Nancy Reagan, who had a mastectomy in October 1987.
The kidney operation comes after a couple of unusually busy weeks for the otherwise press-shy first lady.
Last week, Trump rolled out “Be Best,” an awareness campaign to combat cyberbullying and promote general well-being among children.
The first lady faced some criticism over the announcement, as it called for an end to behavior commonly associated with her husband.
Prior to “Be Best,” the first lady organized and hosted the first official state dinner of the Trump administration for French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron.
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