Hayley Erbert shares photo with Derek Hough following cranioplasty, emergency craniectomy
Hayley Erbert and Derek Hough spent Christmas together following Erbert's emergency craniectomy earlier this month and cranioplasty surgery last week.
In a joint Instagram post she shared with Hough featuring a photo of them kissing by a Christmas tree, Erbert wrote she was "wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas."
"Cherishing the greatest gift of all," she wrote in the caption Monday. "The precious gift of life and the love we share. Hold your loved ones close and treasure every moment."
Erbert was taken to the hospital at the end of her and Hough's Symphony of Dance tour performance in Washington, D.C., according to Hough in an Instagram post on Dec. 7. Hough said Erbert "became disoriented" and "was diagnosed with a cranial hematoma from a burst blood vessel and required an emergency craniectomy."
An emergency craniectomy is a type of brain surgery, typically performed in emergency situations, which relieves pressure on the brain. During the procedure, a surgeon removes a piece of the skull. In a cranioplasty, a later procedure, that section of skull is replaced with either the bone or a metal or plastic plate.
Hough has been sharing updates with his followers about Erbert's health and recovery process, including an update last week about Erbert undergoing cranioplasty surgery, which he said was "successfully completed as planned."
According to the National Institutes of Health's National Library of Medicine, a cranioplasty "is the surgical intervention to repair cranial defects in both cosmetic and functional ways." It is performed "mostly after traumatic injuries."
It's unclear whether the cranioplasty was performed because of Erbert's craniectomy, but the National Library of Medicine says the procedure can take place after a decompressive craniectomy.
In response to Erbert's post Monday, her and Hough's "Dancing with the Stars" family commented to send her love and support.
"You are our Christmas miracle," wrote Julianne Hough, "DWTS" co-host and Hough's sister.
"Sending you both so much love and continued blessings," former "DWTS" pro Cheryl Burke added.
