Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has undergone a hip replacement procedure after being hospitalized in Luxembourg on Friday following a fall.
Pelosi, 84, was traveling with the congressional delegation for the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge – the last major German offensive during the Second World War – when she fell.
Her spokesperson, Ian Krager, said in a statement:“Earlier this morning, Speaker Emerita Pelosi underwent a successful hip replacement and is well on the mend.
“Speaker Pelosi is grateful to U.S. military staff at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center at Landstuhl Army Base and medical staff at Hospital Kirchberg in Luxembourg for their excellent care and kindness.
“Speaker Pelosi is enjoying the overwhelming outpouring of prayers and well wishes and is ever determined to ensure access to quality health care for all Americans.”
Earlier her office had said she was “receiving excellent treatment from doctors and medical professionals.”
“She continues to work and regrets that she is unable to attend the remainder of the CODEL engagements to honor the courage of our servicemembers during one of the greatest acts of American heroism in our nation’s history,” the statement continued.
Sources close to the congresswoman had told The New York Times that Pelosi fractured her hip in the fall. According to a third source, Pelosi tripped down marble stairs at the Grand Ducal Palace in Luxembourg when she fell.
It was a “hard fall,” two people familiar with the incident toldThe Washington Post.
Pelosi, widely considered a pivotal leader within the Democratic Party, has been a member of Congress for 37 years. She served as House speaker twice – from 2007 until 2011 and then again from 2019 until 2023.
She was re-elected to Congress, representing the 11th district in California, in November.
In his earlier statement Krager said Pelosi “looks forward to returning home to the U.S. soon.”
Hip replacement surgery, also known as hip arthroplasty, involves replacing an injured hip with an artificial joint, in order to reduce pain and improve movement. There are about 350,000 such procedures in the US every year.
Rep. Michael McCaul, Republican of Texas, joined Pelosi on the foreign trip and wished her a quick recovery.
“I’m disappointed Speaker Emerita Pelosi won’t be able to join the rest of our delegation’s events this weekend as I know how much she looked forward to honoring our veterans,” McCaul wrote on X on Friday. “But she is strong, and I am confident she will be back on her feet in no time. Praying for a speedy recovery, @SpeakerPelosi!”
The injury comes two years after a man broke into Pelosi’s home in San Francisco and used a hammer to attack her husband Paul Pelosi, who was 82 at the time.
The attacker, David DePape, was looking for the California congresswoman. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison in October.
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell tripped and fell on Tuesday on the way to a GOP luncheon, spraining his wrist and leaving a cut on his face.
Source: independent.co.uk