Rep. Dan Crenshaw, Texas Republican, announced Saturday that he underwent emergency surgery on his remaining eye and will be rendered “effectively blind” for roughly the next month while recovering.
Mr. Crenshaw, a 37-year-old U.S Navy SEAL veteran, lost his right eye in 2012 due to being injured by an improvised explosive device that had detonated while he was on deployment in Afghanistan.
Nine years later, Mr. Crenshaw said he recently began experiencing vision problems with his left eye that led to him visiting an ophthalmologist on Thursday who determined his retina was detaching.
“Anyone who knows the history of my injuries knows that I don’t have a ‘good eye,’ but half a good eye,” said Mr. Crenshaw. “The blast from 2012 caused a cataract, excessive tissue damage, and extensive damage to my retina. It was always a possibility that the effects of the damage to my retina would resurface, and it appears that is exactly what has happened.”
Mr. Crenshaw said he received emergency surgery Friday at a Veterans Affairs hospital in his hometown of Houston and will accordingly be “pretty much off the grid” for the next several weeks.
“The surgery went well, but I will be effectively blind for about a month,” said Mr. Crenshaw.
“During the surgery they put a gas bubble in my eye, which acts as a bandage for my retina. This means I have to be face-down for the next week or so, unable to see anything,” Mr. Crenshaw explained.
Mr. Crenshaw, who is currently serving his second term representing Texas’ 2nd Congressional District, including parts of Houston, said his offices will continue to operate while he recovers.
“I have gotten through worse before, and I will get through this,” said Mr. Crenshaw.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
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