Tokyo, 8 October, /AJMEDIA/
Empress emerita Michiko successfully underwent surgery for a broken right femur Tuesday morning, the Imperial Household Agency said.
The former empress, who turns 90 on Oct 20, experienced severe pain in her right leg after losing her balance and falling at her residence on Sunday evening, with a hospital examination the following afternoon revealing a fracture in the upper part of her thighbone, the agency said.
The empress, who was admitted to the University of Tokyo Hospital, entered the operating room at 5 a.m. on Tuesday and returned to her ward around 7:20 a.m. She is expected to remain in hospital for up to two weeks.
Her husband, former Emperor emeritus Akihito, appeared relieved upon hearing that the operation was successful, according to his aides. The agency said the exact timing of her discharge will depend on her rehabilitation progresses.
The former empress moved to the Sento imperial residence in Akasaka with former Emperor Akihito in 2022. Three years earlier, he became the first Japanese monarch to abdicate in around 200 years and was succeeded by their eldest son, Emperor Naruhito.