Vicki Gunvalson was dealing with far more than reunion nerves when she reunited with her “The Real Housewives of Orange County” castmates.
The Bravo veteran recently revealed that she underwent emergency surgery following complications from a knee replacement, leaving her with little time to recover before filming the Season 20 reunion.
During an appearance on her “My Friend, My Soulmate, My Podcast,” Gunvalson opened up about the unexpected medical setback, explaining that what began as persistent pain after her initial procedure quickly turned into another trip to the operating room.
And with the RHOC reunion approaching, the timing could hardly have been worse.
Vicki Gunvalson Details Emergency Surgery After Knee Replacement
Gunvalson explained that she initially underwent knee replacement surgery on Sept. 11. However, rather than experiencing the recovery she had anticipated, she continued feeling significant discomfort.
“I just wasn’t feeling good. [I was in] major pain,” she recalled.
After undergoing an X-ray, Gunvalson received a call from her doctor that changed her recovery plans entirely.
“[After an] X-ray, [my doctor] called and said, ‘Get back up here. We got to take that knee out and put a different one in.'”
According to Gunvalson, her doctor had not made a mistake during the original procedure. Instead, she said her body may have been rejecting the replacement, or there may have been an infection surrounding it.
“[It was] nothing he did wrong. My body was rejecting that knee or there was a lot of infection around it,” she explained.
Her boyfriend, Michael Smith, stepped in to help her get the medical attention she needed, driving six hours after finishing work so she could return to her doctor.
“My boyfriend Michael, God bless his heart, drove six hours after work,” Gunvalson shared.
The couple arrived late that evening, and doctors scheduled her surgery for the following morning.
The second procedure lasted approximately four hours, according to Gunvalson, who described the situation as an emergency.
Vicki Gunvalson Had Little Time to Recover Before the RHOC Reunion
As difficult as the experience was, Gunvalson still had another major commitment on her calendar: the RHOC Season 20 reunion.
She revealed that she had only about half a day to recover before filming, an exceptionally short turnaround following another significant procedure.
“So I didn’t have much time to rest up,” she said. “Major surgery again. It was emergency.”
Despite the circumstances, Gunvalson spoke positively about how Bravo treated her during the reunion, saying the network took excellent care of her.
The health update offers new perspective on what Gunvalson was experiencing behind the scenes as Season 20 approached its conclusion.
The longtime Housewife, who has been part of the Orange County franchise since its debut in 2006, also addressed speculation surrounding her future on the show.
After rumors circulated suggesting that she and Bravo had mutually agreed she would not return next season, Gunvalson made it clear that no such decision had been made.
“There is no conversation [about decisions for next season] with anybody [right] after the reunion,” she explained, adding that those discussions happen much later.
For now, Gunvalson’s latest update is about an unexpected health challenge, the support she received from Michael and the remarkable turnaround between surgery and filming one of the season’s biggest events.
“The Real Housewives of Orange County” Season 20 airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo.
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Vicki Gunvalson Reveals She Underwent Emergency Surgery Just Before RHOC Reunion