© Thomson Reuters US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden board the Marine One helicopter in WashingtonAndrea Shallal
Bethesda, Maryland. (Reuters) - U.S. First Lady Jill Biden and U.S. President Joe Biden spent more than seven hours at a military hospital on Wednesday for outpatient surgery to remove a lesion found during a routine skin cancer screening.
© Thomson Reuters US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden board the Marine One helicopter in WashingtonThe first lady was recently diagnosed with a small wound in her right eye and will undergo outpatient surgery to have it removed, the president's physician, Kevin O'Connor, said in a statement last week. citing "extreme care".
© Thomson Reuters US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden board the Marine One helicopter in WashingtonThe president and first lady, 71, arrived at Walter Reed National Military Center on the outskirts of Bethesda, Maryland, shortly after 8 a.m. Wednesday and stayed at the hospital for seven hours.
The White House said Wednesday afternoon that Dr. O'Connor would provide an update later. The first lady's office said the operation was "going well and as expected."
President Biden "wanted to be there to support him," White House press secretary Karin Jean-Pierre said. "They have been married for 45 years and he wanted to be there with his wife."
O'Connor said in a statement that the first lady will undergo a simple procedure known as Mohs surgery to remove tissue for final examination.
Mohs surgery involves removing thin layers of skin, after which each layer is carefully monitored for signs of cancer. The process continues until no signs of cancer are found, sparing healthy tissue and reducing the need for further treatment.
(Reporting by Andrea Shallal; Additional reporting by Steve Holland; Editing by Alex Richardson and Bill Burcrott)