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Derek Hough says his wife needed 'an emergency craniectomy'
Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for National Alliance on Mental Illness Westside Los Angeles

Derek Hough says his wife needed 'an emergency craniectomy'

Derek Hough of "Dancing with the Stars" fame announced that his wife Hayley Erbert Hough needed an emergency surgery but is stable.

"At the end of last night's tour performance in Washington D.C., my wife Hayley became disoriented and was taken to the hospital. She was diagnosed with a cranial hematoma from a burst blood vessel and required an emergency craniectomy. She is in stable condition," Hough said in a written statement posted to Instagram on Thursday. "I want to thank the first responders and medical personnel who have cared for and continue to care for her. I ask for your prayers and positivity during this time."

According to the Cleveland Clinic, a craniectomy involves removing part of the patient's skull.

"A craniectomy is a type of major brain surgery where a surgeon removes part of your skull to access your brain," the Cleveland Clinic states. "Your care team might consider a craniectomy to reduce swelling, pressure or bleeding (extra fluid) on your brain. Pressure in your skull from swelling or extra fluid can be life-threatening or cause brain damage because there isn’t a lot of room between your brain and your skull. Any pressure is dangerous and can affect how your brain functions."

Hough and his wife have been on a tour, and the tour schedule indicates that there was a show in Oxon Hill, Maryland, on Wednesday.

"I was in DC last night. The show was absolutely amazing… Hayley was fabulous… I am so sorry this happened. We were sad to not see her at the end of the show. I had a feeling something happened… Many prayers and sending love," someone wrote in response to Hough's Instagram post about his wife's medical emergency.

"Sending you all the love I have in my soul. Prayers for a speedy recovery," DWTS host Alfonso Ribeiro wrote. Hough's sister Julianne Hough, who like her brother also has a long history with the DWTS program, cohosted the latest DWTS season with Ribeiro.

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Alex Nitzberg

Alex Nitzberg

Alex Nitzberg is a staff writer for Blaze News.
@alexnitzberg →