Why Was Joanna Gaines Hospitalized? Health Update Following the ‘Fixer Upper’ Star’s Spinal Surgery

In recovery. Fixer Upper star Joanna Gaines shared a photo from a hospital bed that had fans of the HGTV alum worried about her health. Keep reading for details on Joanna’s hospitalization. 

Why Was Joanna Gaines Hospitalized?

The Magnolia Network star revealed that she underwent her second microdiscectomy in December 2022 to correct a back injury she sustained more than two decades ago. 

According to the Hospital for Special Surgery website, a microdiscectomy is a minimally invasive surgery often used to treat a herniated disc.

“Microdiscectomy is a surgical procedure for the relief of pain and other symptoms that occur when a herniated disc in the spine presses on an adjacent nerve root,” the website explains. “During the operation, the surgeon frees the nerve by removing small fragments of disc, bone and ligament.”

How Did Joanna Gaines Injure Her Back?

According to the Stories We Tell author, her injury dates back to her teenage years. 

“I hurt my back in high school from cheerleading – basically a basket toss turned back injury and I’ve been dealing with it ever since,” Joanna shared via Instagram alongside a slideshow of recovery photos on Wednesday, December 21. 

In the years since her injury, she married Chip Gaines and welcomed five children together: Drake, born in 2005, Ella Rose, born in 2006, Duke, born in 2008, Emmie Kay, born in 2010, and Crew, born in 2018. 

When Did Joanna Gaines Have Surgery?

Jo went on to joke about the bad timing of her operation with the upcoming holidays typically being her “busiest time of the year.”

“I had my first microdiscectomy in 2001 and had to cancel my second date with (now-husband) Chip Carter Gaines,” she recalled. “Then [I] had the same procedure on another disc two weeks ago. I’ve always joked that my back likes to act up at the most inconvenient times, and I was a bit stressed because of the timing of it all with the holiday season.”

The Waco, Texas, native added that despite being in recovery, she’s “truly grateful for the forced rest.”

“It has been a gift to simply stay put, stare at the wonder all around, and just be still,” she continued, sharing a snuggled-up photo from the couch with her youngest son, Crew.