Why Kate Middleton's Recovery Could Be Taking So Long, According To A Surgeon
On February 5, 2024, the BBC reported that King Charles III of England was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer. GB News further reported on February 26 that the King sought spiritual guidance from Archimandrite Ephraim, a Greek Orthodox monk who confirmed it, stating that Charles "has been in contact since the diagnosis and I believe he'll overcome it — Charles has a spiritual sophistication, a spiritual life."
William, Prince of Wales, is under much pressure as he's taken over for the King, who has temporarily stepped down from his duties.This move came shortly after William's wife, Catherine, Princess of Wales, had undergone a planned abdominal surgery for an unknown reason, which was released in a statement by Kensington Palace on January 17. The only thing we know about her procedure is that she'll be back to her duties after Easter this year, but her continued absence from the public eye was causing concern.
William was supposed to attend the memorial for King Constantine of Greece on February 27 but skipped it for a cryptic reason, citing it was a "personal matter," which may have been due to his concern for Kate Middleton. A surgeon from the Crawford Clinic, Dr. George Crawford, explained to Nicki Swift that the reason she hasn't been seen publicly is that her recovery depends on what kind of surgery she underwent.
Kate likely had one of two types of surgery
Despite the silence coming from the monarchy regarding all of the medical ailments going on with King Charles and Kate Middleton, Dr. George Crawford gave some possible hope that the Princess of Wales is faring better than we imagined — though it's taking quite a while for any official word. In his February 27 Nicki Swift interview, Dr. Crawford explained that since it's abdominal surgery and was planned, Kate most likely had one of two kinds of procedures: open surgery or laparoscopic surgery, noting that recovery time for each differs greatly.
"Open surgery is when you make a big incision on the belly and do an operation. That can require up to two months for a patient to recover," he explained. He further noted that because the person's abdomen is essentially opened up, the patient could start moving after about a week, but the muscles in the abdomen itself require longer healing time. "For the abdominal muscles to heal," he stated, "it can take anywhere from six weeks to eight weeks to be at about 75% strength." If she had that form of surgery, her recovery time would track with the projection of her returning to royal duties after Easter on March 31.
A laparoscopic procedure would take less time for Kate Middleton to recuperate from
In discussing why Kate Middleton's recovery from abdominal surgery seems to be taking a while, Dr. George Crawford went on to detail how laparoscopic surgery differed from an open surgery procedure. "Laparoscopic surgery is when you do an operation through small incisions," he stated, adding, "Those patients typically have a recovery time of about three weeks." He further remarked that the patient usually moves around about a day or so after the procedure versus the week-long healing time needed for an open surgery.
The fact that the incisions made during laparoscopic surgery are about the size of a keyhole means that they'll heal much faster than those made during open surgery. A laparoscopic procedure usually involves a tiny camera inserted into the abdomen for the surgeon to pinpoint a specific area that needs repair.
Despite the timing of Kate's recovery, it makes sense from a medical perspective that she'll wait until after Easter to return to the public eye — giving Prince William some peace of mind as he also deals with King Charles' unfortunate diagnosis.