Abdominal surgery, length of hospitalization… What do we know about Princess Kate’s health?

The latest announcements have affected the entire royal family. Princess Kate of Wales underwent surgery on Tuesday, January 16, at a London clinic, Kensington Palace said on Wednesday. She must remain under observation for ten to fourteen days, and her recovery will force her to abstain from royal activities until Easter.

Despite encouraging news that the princess was “doing well” and a visit from her husband William at noon on Thursday, the developments still sparked widespread speculation about the health of Kate, who is expected to one day become queen of the United Kingdom. An update on what we know about his health.

Abdominal surgery not related to cancer

A press release issued Wednesday afternoon clarified that Kate Middleton had undergone “abdominal surgery” that had been planned for a long time, without providing any further details. The intervention was “successful,” but the palace of the Prince and Princess of Wales clarifies. According to the British tabloid The Sun, Princess Kate did not need an ambulance to get to the clinic.

“This is quite surprising. The operation is planned, so it is not an emergency, but there is 15 days of observation. That’s what’s worrying, that’s the mystery,” reacted crowned heads specialist Stefan Berne in an interview with Europe 1 TV channel.

Several royal sources confirmed to the Daily Telegraph that the princess’s hospitalization did not follow a recent deterioration in her health and was not related to cancer.

An operation she might “mention publicly in the future”

Several medical experts have put forward their own hypotheses regarding the pathology from which the Princess of Wales may have suffered. Physician Deborah Lee noted that the typical hospital stay is shorter: “For abdominal surgery, most patients stay in the hospital for four to seven days. After laparoscopic surgery (a type of operation using an endoscope), this duration is reduced to two to four days. “A lot depends on what exactly was done,” she told The Express.

For her part, GP Zoe Williams told The Sun it could be “something that’s been bothering her all her life that she hasn’t been able to solve until now, or a problem that was only recently discovered.” “Two weeks of hospitalization is longer than normal, but it is not normal. She’s a future queen, so doctors will be careful,” she analyzes, without getting too far ahead of herself because with any medical problem, “we can never be completely sure how things will unfold.”

Kensington Palace did not specify the reasons for the princess’s hospitalization, but did not rule out that in the future she would decide to speak publicly about it.

Medical history not suggestive of serious illness

However, what is encouraging about Princess Kate’s overall health is the fact that she has never suffered from any serious illness. Two aspects of her medical history are known, neither of which appears at first glance to be related to the operation she has just undergone.

Kate Middleton, for example, had surgery as a child that left her with a small scar on her left temple. An official press release published then in 2012 confirmed the origin of this scar, without providing details about the reasons that led to this “very serious operation.” Surgeons interviewed by the Daily Mail at the time stressed that it was unlikely that the scar was the result of tumor removal and were more likely to consider a mark left after the removal of a mole.

Another known fact from her medical records is the fact that Kate Middleton suffered from hyperemesis gravidarum during three of her pregnancies. This disease causes very severe nausea and repeated vomiting in pregnant women. Recurrence of nausea and vomiting may have consequences for the patient and fetus, such as dehydration, malnutrition, or even weight loss.

During her first pregnancy in 2013, the Princess of Wales had to be hospitalized briefly because of the condition. She temporarily abandoned her royal obligations. During her other two pregnancies, she was kept in bed and treated at home, but her condition did not require hospital treatment.

Prince William cancels several engagements

Princess Kate’s surgery also has implications for the royal family. Prince William has already canceled several official commitments to stay close to his wife and three children: 10-year-old George, 8-year-old Charlotte and 5-year-old Louis. The couple’s official visit to Rome, Italy, which was supposed to take place in February, was also postponed.

The royal family’s aides-de-camp are responsible for revising the couple’s schedule for the coming weeks accordingly, taking into account the princess’s absence and William’s decision to remain by her side during her recovery. The Prince of Wales also visited him this Thursday at noon.

According to the Daily Mail, Kate’s parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, are mobilizing to help her recover quickly, as are her sister Pippa and her brother James. They planned to take turns being at his bedside during his recovery. For his part, King Charles III is also due to undergo emergency surgery next week for benign prostatic hypertrophy, Buckingham Palace announced on Tuesday.