Melania Trump Had A Procedure During Donald's First Term You Probably Didn't Know About

It might seem as if the medical experiences of political figures always make the front page of major news outlets. (Interestingly, Vice President J.D. Vance had a medical procedure you probably didn't hear about.)

However, sometimes treatments that politicians' family members undergo get less press. That's why you might not have heard much about a treatment that Melania Trump, wife of President Donald Trump, underwent in 2018 during her husband's first term.

An official White House statement described the First Lady's procedure as an embolization necessary to address a "benign kidney condition." Embolization prevents blood from flowing in a specific blood vessel. When performed in and around the kidneys, the procedure is called a renal artery embolization.

Because the White House's explanation didn't include specific details, some news outlets turned to experts to interpret the likely reason for Trump's procedure that necessitated embolization and led to a days-long hospital stay.

NPR talked to urologist Dr. Keith Kowalczyk to piece together a realistic reason for the procedure. He felt that Melania Trump probably had an angiomyolipoma that needed to be surgically addressed. Said Kowalczyk, "When I think of anyone — especially a female — in their 40s or 50s having an embolization, that's the first thing that comes to mind." (Trump was 48 at the time.) According to the Kidney Cancer Association, angiomyolipomas are small tumors found in the kidney and aren't cancerous. That said, though they're not usually noticeable, they can cause some people symptoms of high blood pressure, anemia, and discomfort.

Urologist Dr. Ketan Bedani agreed about angiomyolipoma being the most likely diagnosis when interviewed by NBC News. But he added that an embolization (which is standard treatment to reduce the growth of an angiomyolipoma) would usually not require a patient to stay longer than overnight unless the patient also had a related bleeding issue.

Although Melania Trump's true underlying condition was never revealed, she did send a public note of thanks to the caregivers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center via Instagram. The post, which is now unavailable, revealed that Trump was "feeling great & look[ing] forward to getting back home @WhiteHouse soon." Since her recovery, Trump hasn't released any reports on further kidney health issues. (Here are some warning signs from your kidneys you shouldn't ignore.)

Since then, it has become public knowledge that the First Lady has been treated for at least one other medical condition. In 2020, she and her husband contracted Covid-19. "I was very fortunate as my diagnosis came with minimal symptoms, though they hit me all at once and it seemed to be a roller coaster of symptoms in the days after," shared Trump in an article released via the White House website. She also revealed that she received care at home, while her husband was sent to the hospital.