The Dalai Lama had successful total knee replacement surgery at a top New York hospital and will be discharged on Saturday, the Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader’s personal physician said as Tibetans around the world rejoiced at the news.
The Dalaia Lama, who turns 89 on July 6, has experienced health problems for years. His knee issues required medical attention outside northern India where he has lived in exile for 65 years following a failed uprising against Chinese rule in Tibet.
The Nobel Prize winner enjoys strong support in the United States, especially among prominent lawmakers who have spoken out about human rights issues in Tibet, despite objections by China which views him as a separatist and bristles at his interactions with foreign officials.
"After the surgery, he returned to his room in the hospital in a very stable condition and has already had his lunch," said Dr. Tsetan Dorjee Sadutshang, who gave a video briefing on the Dalai Lama's condition just hours after his operation Friday at New York's Hospital for Special Surgery, a top medical facility for musculoskeletal health.
The operation began in the early morning amid mass prayers and religious rituals by Tibetans worldwide, including those inside Tibet, for the Dalai Lama’s successful surgery and swift recovery.
“The entire team looking after His Holiness at the hospital has been very supportive and caring,” said Sadutshang, who was accompanied by Tenzin Taklha, the Dalai Lama’s secretary, at the briefing.
The treatment was successful, and the surgery ended around 7:30 a.m., said another source with knowledge of the matter.
The Dalai Lama arrived in New York on June 23, marking his first visit to the United States in over seven years and his first overseas trip since November 2018.
Tibetans across Tibet have been offering prayers for his well-being ever since news of his U.S. visit reached people in various corners of the region and in Tibetan-populated areas of China’s western provinces, Tibetan sources said.
In Lhasa, Tibetans offered prayers at the Jokhang Temple, Ramoche Temple and other monasteries on Friday, as China tightened security at religious sites amid news of widespread prayer by Tibetans inside Tibet for the Dalai Lama’s successful surgery, the sources said.
Tibetans worldwide also took to social media to express their joy and gratitude.
“Thank you so much for the updates, Doctor. Wishing His Holiness the Dalai Lama a speedy recovery,” wrote one Tibetan netizen, commenting on the press briefing video posted on YouTube.
Another wrote: “Thank you, USA medical team. This is really good news for us.”
The Dalai Lama's trip to the U.S. comes in the wake of the passage of a bill in the U.S. Congress urging Beijing to re-engage with him and other Tibetan leaders to peacefully resolve their dispute over the status and governance of Tibet.
Translated by RFA Tibetan. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Paul Eckert.