DWTS’ Carrie Ann Inaba Shares She Had Emergency Appendectomy

Carrie Ann Inaba is recovering after an emergency medical procedure.

The Dancing With the Stars judge recently shared on Instagram that she underwent an emergency appendectomy, the surgical removal of the appendix, with “a few small complications” last week, resulting in a four-night hospital stay.

In video footage posted March 30, Carrie Ann said she had been diagnosed with acute gangrenous appendicitis, which is an inflammation of the appendix, according to the Mayo Clinic. At first, the 55-year-old delayed visiting a medical center for the pain, a choice she ultimately regrets.

“I should have come straight to the hospital right when the pain in my abdomen started, after the sudden and violent vomiting that knocked me off my feet,” Carrie Ann shared, adding that she was hesitant be away from her pets. “I should have gone when I couldn’t stand without excruciating pain, but I honestly didn’t want to leave my babies, and I’m so accustomed to pain—thought I should let it play out.”