Nancy Pelosi has hip replacement surgery after injury in Europe
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi underwent a successful hip replacement after being hospitalized during a trip to Luxembourg, her office said Saturday.
"Earlier this morning, Speaker Emerita Pelosi underwent a successful hip replacement and is well on the mend," spokesperson Ian Krager said in a statement.
The operation was conducted at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center at Landstuhl Army Base in Germany, her office said. The Defense Department provided medevac support to transport Pelosi there from Luxembourg.
The spokesperson added, "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."
Pelosi was in Luxembourg as part of a congressional delegation to mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge, CBS News previously reported. Pelosi "sustained an injury during an official engagement." She was admitted to Kirchberg Hospital in the northeast of Luxembourg City hospital for evaluation.
Sources familiar with the matter told CBS News that Pelosi injured her left leg in a fall. Krager declined to specify the nature or severity of the injury at the time.
In general, full recovery from hip replacements can take weeks to months, even sometimes up to a year, Dr. David Bernstein, senior orthopaedic resident surgeon at Mass General Hospital and senior researcher at Harvard Business School, told CBS News.
Age can also be a factor is how recovery goes.
"(For) elderly folks, recovery from anything is more challenging," Bernstein said. "I would say that pre-injury mobility is really one of the biggest drivers of post-operative function and recovery," he added, explaining that if a person is physically active pre-injury, recovery may go more smoothly than if they already had mobility issues.
Pelosi, 84, served as Democratic leader in the House for 20 years, including two stints as speaker, before stepping aside two years ago. She won another term to represent her San Francisco district in Congress in November, and remains an influential party figure, with the title of speaker emerita.