Story highlights The first lady had an embolization procedure to treat a benign kidney condition It's unclear why she is still there, but experts say it may be out of an abundance of caution (CNN) — First lady Melania Trump has been in the hospital for four days, with no word on exactly when she will be released. Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, would not give any details about why the first lady was there, but a White House statement said she underwent an embolization procedure on Monday morning to treat a benign kidney condition. President Trump tweeted Monday that she “is doing really well” and would be leaving the hospital in “2 or 3 days” after her procedure. Embolization “cuts off the blood supply to a certain part of the body,” according to the National Institutes of Health. This procedure is mostly done as an outpatient, meaning the patient is discharged the same day. Dr. Mohamad Allaf, vice chairman of urology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said the planned length of the first lady’s hospitalization is “somewhat atypical but not out of the question,” noting that it’s hard to tell absent more information about Trump. “It may be just out of an abundance of caution and privacy. Certainly, staying a little longer may imply that this is a little bit more of a complex situation.” On Wednesday, Trump tweeted that she was “feeling great” and looking forward to getting home. It’s unclear why she hasn’t returned to the White House, and experts say, it’s hard to speculate. “There are so many unknown factors about what was involved in the procedure. Was she under full sedation? … There are many factors that could keep someone [in the hospital] in a little longer,” said Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt, a urological surgeon at Orlando Health. He has worked with patients under similar circumstances, but is not involved in the first lady’s case. Brahmbhatt, also an assistant professor of urology at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine, said he would expect some patients to resume some regular activity the day after the procedure. But there could be pain, he said, and to discharge a patient, doctors typically look for three things: “They’ll be waiting to see how she eats. They’ll want her pain to be in control. They’ll want to make sure that the labs show she is stable. Once you meet those criteria, then we can send you home,” Brahmbhatt said. Dr. Gregory Bernstein, a urologist and former military physician, said he’s gotten a lot of questions this week about the length of the first lady’s hospital stay. He did not treat her but has treated patients in similar circumstances. He said the case could have been more complicated. “Everyone’s pain threshold is a little different. An embolization is pretty painful regardless. Think about it. You are cutting off the blood supply to tissue in the body, which cuts off oxygen, which causes tissue to die, and that can be pretty painful,” Bernstein said. When his patients ask how long they’ll be at the hospital with a procedure like this, he tries to manage their expectations. “I always tell my patients to prepare for the worst-case scenario, which may involve having to stay three or four days in the hospital, or they could get out earlier, and then that would be even better,” Bernstein said. On the flip side, he said, Trump may still be hospitalized simply because she is the first lady and is in a military hospital that “doesn’t have the typical constraints of a civilian hospital.” Doctors may be taking a little extra time and care to make sure everything is OK with their VIP. “She’s in a private VIP suite. Why not let her recover there and make sure everything is all right?” said Bernstein. “Because it would be a lot worse if they let her out right away and she had to go back because of a complication.” Follow CNN Health on Facebook and Twitter See the latest news and share your comments with CNN Health on Facebook and Twitter. Dr. Jennifer Berman, a urologist and sexual health expert who is not involved in Trump’s care, offered a hypothetical: If a person had a benign tumor that was larger than 4 centimeters, staying in the hospital for three or four days is normal, and Trump would probably be released over the weekend. “Since we only have crumbs of information about what the procedure was for, it’s hard to know,” Berman said. But she hopes the first lady will talk about it someday. “Millions of people suffer from kidney problems, and we want them to know there’s nothing to be ashamed about, and they should be proactive about any concerns they may have. Often, when celebrities like the first lady have a health issue, it raises awareness, which can be good,” Berman said. “And she’s the first lady, so we are concerned for her health and well-being.”<doc-sep>WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 07: U.S. first lady Melania Trump arrives in the Rose Garden to speak at the White House May 7, 2018 in Washington, DC. Trump outlined her new initiatives, known as the Be Best program, as first lady during the event. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 5: (AFP OUT) First Lady Melania Trump attends a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump and Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office of the White House March 5, 2018 in Washington, DC. The prime minister is on an official visit to the US until the end of the week. (Photo by Olivier Douliery-Pool/Getty Images) LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 13: U.S. First Lady Melania Trump plays bowls she meets British military veterans known as "Chelsea Pensioners" at Royal Hospital Chelsea on July 13, 2018 in London, England. America's First Lady visited the Chelsea Pensioners while her husband, President Donald Trump, held bi-lateral talks with Theresa May at the Prime Minister's Country Residence. The Chelsea Pensioners are British Army personnel who are cared for at at the Services retirement home at The Royal Hospital in London. (Photo by Luca Bruno - WPA Pool/Getty Images) First lady Melania Trump arrives to board a plane at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Thursday, June 21, 2018, to travel to Texas to visit the U.S.-Mexico border. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Viktor Knavs and Amalija Knavs, parents of US first lady Melania Trump, arrive at the White House with the first family on June 11, 2017 in Washington, DC. US First Lady Melania Trump announces her "Be Best" children's initiative in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, DC, May 7, 2018. (Photo by JIM WATSON / AFP) (Photo credit should read JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images) (CNN) — President Donald Trump welcomed first lady Melania Trump home from the hospital Saturday, but initially misspelled her name as “Melanie” in a tweet. “Great to have our incredible First Lady back home in the White House. Melania is feeling and doing really well. Thank you for all of your prayers and best wishes!” he wrote after initially tweeting and deleting the same message with a typo of the first lady’s name. The first lady returned home on Saturday following a Monday procedure, her office confirmed in a statement. “The first lady returned home to the White House this morning. She is resting comfortably and remains in high spirits,” said Stephanie Grisham, the first lady’s communications director. “Our office has received thousands of calls and emails wishing Mrs. Trump well, and we thank everyone who has taken the time to reach out.” Trump has been recuperating at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center since she underwent a kidney embolization procedure on Monday. Grisham said Monday that the first lady was expected to stay in the hospital for the duration of the week. Pressed for more information about the first lady’s condition and why she stayed in the hospital five nights after what was possibly a routine kidney procedure, Grisham pushed back on reports speculating about Trump’s health. “Every patient is different,” she told CNN. “The medical professionals who have been giving opinions to the media based on one statement are uninformed. Mrs. Trump has a medical team that is comfortable with her care, which is all that matters. Her recovery and privacy are paramount and I will have no further comment beyond this. Anyone else who chooses to speak with the media will only be speculating.” He visited his wife multiple times following the procedure. “She’s doing great. Doing great,” he told a reporter after delivering remarks at a prison reform event Friday at the White House. On Tuesday, the President tweeted that she was “doing really well” and would be leaving the hospital in “2 or 3 days.” It’s unclear why the hospital stay lasted longer than expected. Earlier in the week, the first lady’s office declined to offer further details about the extended hospital stay and asked for privacy. “I am not going to expand beyond the statement I put out,” Grisham, told CNN Tuesday when asked why the routine procedure would require a multi-day hospital stay. “The first lady is in good spirits and she is resting. There are HIPAA laws to consider, but she also deserves personal privacy.” Though she isn’t expected to make any public appearances in the coming days, Trump expressed her appreciation for Walter Reed medical staff earlier this week. “A sincere thank you to Walter Reed Medical Unit @WRBethesda & to all who have send good wishes & prayers! I am feeling great & look forward to getting back home @WhiteHouse soon,” she tweeted Wednesday. Trump, who turned 48 last month, had been experiencing an issue with her kidney that her office described as benign but requiring medical attention. She is the first US first lady to undergo such a serious medical procedure while in the White House since Nancy Reagan had a mastectomy in October 1987. Rosalynn Carter underwent surgery to remove a benign lump from her breast in April 1977. Weeks after Betty Ford became first lady, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a mastectomy in September 1974.<doc-sep>The details surrounding First Lady Melania Trump's "benign kidney condition" are scarce. Earlier this week Trump was admitted into Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, and what was originally reported as a “two or three days" recovery time has passed. The New York Times reported that the White House has been hushed silent about Trump's whereabouts and medical condition. Dr. Kelvin Hong, the director of the Johns Hopkins Interventional Radiology Center, said that Trump's procedure usually calls for a one-night stay. Experts say it's unclear why she would stay for nearly a week for her condition. Mrs. Trump's close aides were also seen wearing blue scrubs. Hong said it was unclear why they were wearing scrubs since they are "unnecessary" for someone who underwent an "embolization procedure." Stephanie Grisham, the first lady’s communications director would not answer questions. “When I have something to tell you ...I will," Grisham wrote in an email.<doc-sep>The first lady has kept a low profile since her hospital stay. First Lady Melania Trump tweeted Wednesday that she is feeling "great" following widespread speculation over why she has not been seen in public since undergoing a medical procedure to treat what the White House has said was a "benign kidney condition." While the first lady's conspicuous absence had become the source of some speculation, with the hashtag #whereismelania trending on Twitter, her communications director says the first lady is doing “really well” and is engaged on internal meetings. “She's doing really well,” communications director Stephanie Grisham tells ABC News in a statement. “She's been involved in several internal meetings with staff all last week, and that continues this week. We've been going over initiatives and other long-term planning for events such as the congressional picnic and 4th of July.” The last time the first lady was seen in public was in the early morning hours of May 10, when she joined the president at Joint Base Andrews to greet the three Americans released from North Korea. Several days later, on May 14, the first lady underwent an embolization procedure involving her kidney at Walter Reed Medical Center. The public was informed of the procedure after its completion, which Grisham said was carried out successfully and without complication. The first lady then returned home to the White House on May 19. During her stay at the hospital, the first lady tweeted her appreciation to the medical staff and offered thanks to the public for the well wishes she received. The first lady's office has not said when her next public event will be. Despite her focus on children's issues, she is not currently expected to attend a Sports and Fitness Day at the White House Wednesday that will seek to highlight the importance of youth sports participation.<doc-sep>
"She is resting comfortably and remains in high spirits," first lady Melania Trump's office said of her status after she was released from the hospital. | Joe Raedle/Getty Images First lady Melania Trump released from hospital after kidney treatment First lady Melania Trump returned to the White House on Saturday morning following hospital treatment for a kidney condition. "She is resting comfortably and remains in high spirits. Our office has received thousands of calls and emails wishing Mrs. Trump well, and we thank everyone who has taken the time to reach out," a statement from her office read. Melania Trump was hospitalized for a kidney condition for five days beginning Monday at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. The White House said the first lady went through an embolization procedure for a "benign" condition and had no complications. President Donald Trump welcomed the first lady back home later Saturday. "Great to have our incredible First Lady back home in the White House. Melania is feeling and doing really well," the president wrote on Twitter, after deleting an initial tweet that misspelled the first lady's name as Melanie. "Thank you for all of your prayers and best wishes!" Trump visited his wife Monday afternoon and thanked well wishers on Twitter. He added later that she was "doing really well" after the procedure. Mark Schoenberg, a urologist at Montefiore Medical Center in New York previously told POLITICO that for someone the first lady's age — 48 — the condition was likely a benign one called an angiomyolipoma: "a benign tumor, it's not a cancer, of the kidney."