Bindi Irwin has thanked doctors after undergoing an emergency appendectomy and other procedures in Las Vegas on Saturday.
The conservationist, 26, suffered a ruptured appendix and was raced into surgery just hours after touching down in the US for the annual Steve Irwin Gala which honours her late father.
Taking to Instagram on Monday, Bindi shared a video from her hospital bed and revealed she is on the ‘road to recovery’.
Bindi said while her appendix was removed, doctors discovered another 14 lesions from her endometriosis. These were also successfully removed.
She also had a large hernia repaired which had developed after giving birth to daughter Grace, four, in 2021.
‘I am so thankful that I got the help I needed with Dr. Seckin and Dr. Chu at Lenox Hill Hospital. After many months of a grumbly appendix, I finally had to seek help the day of our Steve Irwin Gala,’ she captioned her post.
‘After consulting with Dr. Seckin, we agreed that if I flew to New York, he could also check for endometriosis again. Surgery was a success.
‘My appendix was removed, along with another 14 lesions (after having 37 endometriosis lesions and a cyst removed two years ago). I also had a repair to a large hernia I acquired through childbirth four years ago.’
Bindi said she is grateful to be on the mend and thanked fans for all their kind messages.
She also praised her brother Robert for hosting the gala and thanked her husband Chandler, daughter Grace and mum Terri for ‘always being there’.
‘And rest assured, I’ll see you at the next Steve Irwin Gala in Brisbane this November. One day at a time. Time to heal now. Sending my love to you all,’ she added.
Robert told People magazine on Saturday that Bindi was recovering after being raced into surgery.
‘She’s going to be okay, but surgery – out of all the things we were ready for, that was not one of them,’ Robert explained.
Terri also missed the event while accompanying her daughter to hospital and staying by her side through surgery.
Robert explained that Bindi had been suffering some pain in the lead up to the gala but had tried to soldier on.
‘She came to Las Vegas and was ready to put on a brave face. She said, “I’m just going to tough it out.”
‘But the surgeon told her, “Your appendix is going. It’s got to come out.”‘
Both Terri and Bindi missed the gala, which raises fund for their organisation Wildlife Warriors, but Robert was able to attend, where he shared the grim news.
It’s not the first time Bindi has suffered ill health in recent years.
In a rare interview, the media personality recently opened up about the hidden struggles she faced behind closed doors.
Speaking to Sarah Grynberg on a new episode of the A Life of Greatness podcast, she shared insights into her grief, chronic illness, and the importance of speaking up for women’s health.
For more than a decade, Bindi battled severe, undiagnosed health issues that she kept private, known only to her husband Chandler, mum Terri, and younger brother Robert.