Savannah Guthrie's Tragic Health Issues, Explained

"Today" show star Savannah Guthrie has endured several major tragedies throughout her life, with more on the horizon. What was supposed to be her return to the small screen in 2026 got embroiled in the chaos of Savannah's mother, Nancy Guthrie, disappearing under concerning circumstances. However, the reason Savannah was taking a break from work to begin with was due to a medical condition that needed attention. Though there's much to know about Savannah, her health issues have often caused chaos for the NBC News anchor.

Of course, Savannah has shown considerable adaptability in the face of tragedy. Similar to how Savannah navigated her devastating divorce, it seems she's prone to holding her head high and pivoting as she's able. From struggles with infertility to learning to listen to her body, it seems that Savannah knows how to roll with whatever obstacle her body might put before her. True to form, even when things are hard, Savannah manages to consistently come out with a sunny disposition and positive spin to add to her experiences — no matter how harrowing they are.

Considering everything Savannah Guthrie has said about her infertility journey, it makes sense that her struggles with conceiving would include several ups and downs. Admittedly a late-in-life mother, Guthrie had her doubts that she'd get to have children at all. In a 2022 interview with Good Housekeeping, Guthrie opened up about how she tried to protect herself from any disappointing outcomes. In terms of getting pregnant, she admitted that, "I stopped even letting myself hope," pointing towards the fact that she was in her 40s when she was looking to start her family. "That mindset was probably a self-defense mechanism," she divulged before opening up about her journey with in vitro fertilization (IVF).

After the surprise announcement that she was pregnant on her wedding day to Mike Feldman, baby Vale was born in 2014. However, Savannah suffered a miscarriage after that pregnancy and struggled to get pregnant again. In 2018, Savannah spoke with Health magazine about using IVF to help bring Charley Guthrie Feldman into the world (via "Today"). "I would say Vale was a miracle, and Charley was a medical miracle," Savannah said at the time. However, as miraculous as having access to IVF was for the couple, it was still a struggle to conceive. "It ended up taking more than one attempt," she explained, continuing that "we were lucky." 

The experience also changed Savannah in more ways than one; it gave her a deeper understanding of what others go through when trying to conceive. "I really feel for so many women who are struggling and wishing and wondering...I know. And I understand," she shared.

Though the road to motherhood took its time for Savannah Guthrie, once she and her husband Mike Feldman had their two children, it seems they got a crash course in parenting. In 2019, when son Charley Guthrie Feldman was two, the toddler accidentally caused damage to Savannah's right eye. According to "Today," while Charley was sitting in his mom's lap, he hit her with a toy train. Savannah struggled with vision loss and it quickly turned out to be a more serious issue.

"I lost my vision in my right eye about 24 hours later, and then it turned out to be kind of serious," Savannah told "Today" at the time. After going in to get checked out, there was concern that her retina could have been damaged and the NBC anchor was told to rest. However, before going back to work, Savannah would have to undergo several laser treatments to care for her retinal tear. Of her treatments, Savannah explained that they're "trying hard to avoid...having to do a major surgery."

Luckily for all parties involved, recovery was swift and Savannah regained her vision and was back to work after the emergency laser procedure. Ever the good mother, Savannah did her best to keep the severity of things out of Charley's perception. "He's 2, so he doesn't really know what he did, and of course I wouldn't want to make him feel bad about it,” Savannah admitted, proving her tender understanding.

Though Savannah Guthrie continues to age like fine wine, she noticed that her voice wasn't joining her for the ride. In 2023, Guthrie announced during a segment dedicated to laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) on "Today" that she suffers from the condition. "My voice has been getting hoarser and hoarser, and I thought it was old age," Guthrie said, continuing, "I didn't know." It's fair for Guthrie to have not known what was going on, as many experts agree that the symptoms of LPR, or "silent reflux," are similar to other health issues.

Lee Akst, MD, told Health at the time that, "The symptoms are pretty non-specific." These symptoms range from a hoarse voice to a sore throat to having too much mucus. That's what makes LPR "tricky" to diagnose, according to Dr. Akst. "There are a lot of other conditions," continuing that it could be, "allergies, dryness, muscle tension...which can cause a lot of the same symptoms."

Though Guthrie got to the bottom of what was causing her voice to sound aged, it wasn't the end of her struggles with her vocal cords.

In a brutal way to start 2026, Savannah Guthrie underwent throat surgery just before the disturbing disappearance of her mother, Nancy Guthrie. In January, Guthrie underwent vocal cord surgery to help repair her voice, which had gone downhill in recent history. Though she thought her gravelly-sounding speech was "just normal aging and wear and tear," she admitted to "Today," "it was hard to get through a sentence." Luckily, Guthrie took her health seriously and went to an otolaryngologist to get checked out.

Dr. Peak Woo told "Today" that he spotted "a hemorrhagic polyp on one side and [a] vocal nodule on the other." While this sounds scary, they are fairly common for people who use their voices on a professional basis. Fellow "Today" star Sheinelle Jones tragically underwent surgery for nearly the exact same thing. Guthrie followed suit and went under to remove her polyp and nodule. Upon waking, she was given strict instructions not to speak for a little over a week. However, when the time came for her to open up again, it was a moving experience.

When Guthrie heard herself speak with her repaired vocal cords, she shared, "It sounds so good, I could cry." She then quickly turned it into a joke, saying, "Once again, I was speechless." Guthrie and Jones got to share a moment, according to studio footage posted to Instagram that shows the two women reflecting on their moments of silence. "It was hard at first," said Guthrie, before admitting that she "found it to be a beautiful...spiritual moment, and I'm so grateful."