Vermont Sen. Leahy undergoes second surgery on broken hip

MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — Vermont U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy has undergone a second surgery to help repair a broken hip, his office said Wednesday.

Leahy, 82, fell and broke his hip last month in his Virginia home. He underwent hip-replacement surgery June 30 at a Washington-area hospital. He was then moved to a rehabilitation center.

On Wednesday, Leahy’s office said his surgeons found it necessary to perform an additional operation on the hip “to help advance his recovery.”

Leahy was back in his rehabilitation room by Tuesday evening. He is working with physical therapists “to return home as soon as possible.”

Leahy’s office says the senator and his wife Marcelle “deeply appreciate the continued messages of support and affection that have been offered to them during his recovery.”

Leahy, the longest serving member of the U.S. Senate, is not seeking reelection in November. When Leahy’s current term expires in January 2023, he will have served for 48 years in the Senate.

Leahy previously went to the hospital in January 2021, hours after he had begun presiding over the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump. Leahy had not been feeling well and was taken there out of an abundance of caution. After being examined, he was sent home.