The Real Reason Savannah Guthrie Is Set To Get Major Surgery

Savannah Guthrie is no stranger to sharing her personal life with fans and viewers, which makes sense given her job in the public eye. The Today show co-anchor joined the show in 2012, and since then, she has reported alongside her colleague and fellow journalist, Hoda Kotb. However, although her life may look organized and neat on TV, the broadcaster isn't afraid to show the ups and downs that happen when the cameras aren't rolling.

For instance, in November 2019, Guthrie was playing with her son, Charley, when he accidentally threw a toy train at her eye. As a result, the television personality had to undergo eye surgery in December 2019 to repair her retina, per Health magazine. "It was a little bit touch and go over the last few days, but it looks like the retina will hold and not detach and I won't need full eye surgery," she wrote on Instagram at the time.

Ultimately, the first surgery "saved [her] eye," she told People in April 2020. "If I hadn't been able to have that surgery, I think I would have probably lost my vision in that eye," she added. "So yes, I'm very, very grateful and this is just one those things. It's an inconvenience. It's a story that keeps going on."

However, Guthrie told Ellen DeGeneres in June 2020 that, while "the surgery worked," there were some "complications," per via Entertainment Tonight. One month later, Guthrie has to go under the knife once again. Keep reading to find out why.

On July 20, 2020, Savannah Guthrie announced she would be leaving the Today show early to get surgery once again. Guthrie explained to viewers that this time around, she will get cataract surgery so she can see clearly. "So apparently after you have that retina reattachment surgery, it's very common to get cataracts," she explained during the Today show alongside Hoda Kotb and Carson Daly. "So, that happened to me. So, I'm actually going to leave in 20 minutes and have cataract surgery."

Daly jokingly asked Guthrie if she was going to get the surgery done while "on the air," but Guthrie immediately shot that idea down. "Umm no, because they are slicing my eye, so I didn't think our viewers wanted to see that," she quipped.

Ultimately, Guthrie is "super excited" to finally get her vision restored. "I feel like it's Christmas morning because if they remove this cataract, I'll really be able to see and I have a hard time seeing," she said.

Although Savannah Guthrie's cataract surgery sounds a bit daunting, she revealed the recovery period is short and sweet. "The surgery itself is under an hour," she said on the Today show. "I think it's a half hour and then there is a little recovery." Guthrie noted she wouldn't be back the next day since she'll have "a bandage" covering her eye, but she is optimistic she will be on the air later in the week. "Hopefully next time I see you, I'll really see you!" she joked to her colleagues, Hoda Kotb and Carson Daly.

Guthrie reassured viewers and her coworkers that this is just a routine procedure. "Lots of people have had cataract surgery or their parents have had cataract surgery," she added. "It's very common in the elderly, but it happens if you have this retina detachment surgery. Once they remove that blur, I think it will be a lot better."

Fingers crossed everything goes smoothly for Guthrie! 

After Savannah Guthrie announced on the Today show that she's getting cataract surgery, fans came out of the woodwork to wish the NBC personality well. One person wrote on her Instagram post about the surgery, "Wishing you a successful surgery and speedy recovery! We love seeing you and Hoda [Kotb] back together in the studio!!!" while another echoed, "Hoping your outcome is perfect!!" A third commenter added, "You'll do great and you'll be so happy you did it."

These comments are a lot more kind than the feedback Guthrie received from a fan who criticized her in June 2020 for looking "unkempt" on TV. "We are all doing our own hair and makeup during the pandemic," the journalist shot back on Twitter. "And yes it shows!"

Twitter drama aside, we are hoping Guthrie's peepers look good as new when she makes her return to the Today studio soon! Guthrie will most definitely be a sight for sore eyes — get it?