Surgeon Tells Us Why Kate Middleton's Recovery Might Take So Long

Where is Kate Middleton? It's the question that has been on everyone's mind since the Princess of Wales underwent a serious health procedure early in the year. Now, a surgeon has told Nicki Swift why Kate's recovery might be taking longer than what people expected.

In January 2024, the public was shocked to discover that Kate had undergone a "planned abdominal surgery." Kensington Palace revealed the news on January 17, sharing, "Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales was admitted to hospital yesterday for planned abdominal surgery. The surgery was successful and it is expected that she will remain in hospital for ten to fourteen days, before returning home to continue her recovery." The statement also said that Kate would likely not return to public-facing duties until Easter. Still, many expected to at least catch glimpses of the royal here and there during her road to recovery, and Kate has been completely M.I.A.

Just over a week after Kensington Palace revealed Kate had the planned surgery, they announced that she had returned home to continue her healing process, per People. Many were relieved to hear the Princess of Wales was on the road to recovery, but that didn't stop concerns from growing. Since the announcement of her surgery, there have been zero sightings of Kate. With her being noticeably absent, many have wondered why the Princess of Wales' recovery is taking so long. Well, surgeon and CEO of The Crawford Clinic George Crawford, MD FACS, is breaking down the potential reasons why Kate's recovery is taking longer than some expected.

Surgeon George Crawford talked to Nicki Swift to explain that there may be some very natural reasons for Kate Middleton's recovery to take longer than expected.

Crawford revealed that we can't be sure whether Middleton had open surgery or laparoscopic surgery, and each one has a different recovery process. "Open surgery is when you make a big incision on the belly and do an operation," he said. "That can require up to two months for a patient to recover." Crawford explained that typically, patients who have open surgery can move around a week after the procedure, but "for the abdominal muscles to heal, it can take anywhere from six weeks to eight weeks to be at about 75% strength." If Middleton had open surgery, the timeline of a full recovery would put her right around Easter, as mentioned by Kensington Palace.

As for laparoscopic surgery, it's generally a much speedier recovery. Crawford told Nicki Swift, "Laparoscopic surgery is when you do an operation through small incisions ... Those patients typically have a recovery time of about three weeks." Crawford explained that patients will usually be up and at 'em the next day, even though they will likely still need to make a total recovery. In other words, her recovery time will depend on the procedure Kate underwent, but either way, she should indeed be taking it easy.