On Friday, December 13, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi suffered a serious fall at the World War II battlefield site in Luxembourg. While she posed for a photo afterward, she had broken her hip, requiring hip replacement surgery. It is now confirmed that, at the time of the accident, Pelosi was wearing high heels.
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This piece of information was revealed by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul. McCaul was the one who helped Pelosi get back on her feet after the fall took place. "I was right next to her. She likes to wear high heels — very high," McCaul said, reported by the New York Post. "She was on one of her last steps on this marble staircase that didn't have a railing and she lost her footing and fell to the ground."
"I immediately helped pick her up. And we took a picture of that," McCaul continued. "You can see me holding her up by her hand and then very soon thereafter, a vehicle showed up and took her to the hospital."
After they took the group photo, Nancy Pelosi was transported to the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. There she underwent hip replacement surgery. McCaul then talked with Pelosi and said that she "had a lot of energy," was "spunky" and was eager to return to the United States. "Overall, she's in good spirits," McCaul said.
It was confirmed by Pelosi's spokesman, Ian Krager, that Pelosi underwent the surgery. "Earlier this morning, Speaker Emerita Pelosi underwent a successful hip replacement and is well on the mend," Krager said. "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."
Hip Replacement Surgery
According to Mayo Clinic, during hip replacement surgery, a surgeon removes the damaged sections of the hip. The surgeon would then replace them with parts made up of metal, ceramic, or hard plastic. Following the surgery, patients are expected to undergo physical therapy as well as different types of home recovery and assistance.
According to Dr. David Bernstein, who spoke with CBS News, recovery from surgeries of this type is "more challenging. "I would say that pre-injury mobility is really one of the biggest drivers of post-operative function and recovery," Bernstein added.
