WASHINGTON (AP) – Surgeons removed a cancerous lesion above first lady Jill Biden’s right eye Wednesday, as well as another cancerous lesion on her breast, the White House said, while a third lesion on her left eyelid was being examined.
Dr. Kevin O’Connor, the president’s physician, said an examination showed that a lesion on Biden’s left eye and one recently discovered on his chest were both confirmed to be basal cell carcinoma. The lesion in her right eye was “completely excised, with margins, and sent for standard microscopic examination.”
Biden and her husband, President Joe Biden, are staying at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, as she undergoes a scheduled outpatient procedure known as Mohs surgery to remove and examine the lesion.
O’Connor said the first woman “suffered facial swelling and bruising, but is in good spirits and feeling fine.” He is expected to return to the White House Wednesday afternoon.
THIS IS A NEWS UPDATE. Previous AP story below.
WASHINGTON (AP) – Jill Biden’s surgery Wednesday to remove a potentially cancerous lesion above her right eye “is proceeding and as expected,” according to her office.
The first lady and President Joe Biden remained at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, during the day. They arrived by helicopter at about 8am
The update from Jill Biden’s office came after she had been in the hospital for about six hours. Further updates are expected after the surgery.
Her office announced a week ago that doctors discovered the lesion during a routine skin cancer checkup. He had to “undergo a common outpatient procedure known as Mohs surgery to definitively remove and examine the tissue,” said Dr. Kevin O’Connor, the president’s physician, in a January 4 memo released by the first lady’s office last week.
The surgery involves cutting thin layers of skin and examining each layer for signs of cancer, according to a fact sheet from the Mayo Clinic. Doctors keep removing layers of skin and checking for any signs of cancer. The procedure takes less than four hours for most people, and they can go home afterward.
Doctors recommended removing the lesion from the 71-year-old first lady “with care,” O’Connor wrote in the memo.
The Skin Cancer Foundation says the delicate skin around the eyes is especially vulnerable to damage from the sun’s ultraviolet rays.
The operation was scheduled for the morning after the Bidens returned from Mexico City, where the president held two days of discussions with the leaders of Mexico and Canada and the first lady met with women, children and North American partners.
In April 2021, the first lady had a medical procedure described in the White House as “public”. Details are not provided. The president accompanied him to an outpatient center near the George Washington University campus, and he returned to the White House about two hours later.
Biden also accompanied the first lady to Walter Reed in July 2021 for outpatient treatment after she punctured her left leg while walking on the beach in Hawaii. He had stopped in Hawaii for an official event after participating in the opening ceremony for the Tokyo Olympics.