GOP Rep. Crenshaw to take leave due to eye surgery

Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) said Saturday that he is taking a monthlong leave after having surgery on his eye, adding that he’ll be “effectively blind” for a month.

Crenshaw, who lost his right eye in 2012 during a bomb attack while he was serving in Afghanistan, said his ophthalmologist discovered that his retina was detaching in his left eye as a result of the lingering effects of his injury. He had surgery Friday after consulting with his doctor.

“This is a terrifying prognosis for someone with one eye, and the nature of the injuries that I sustained in Afghanistan. Anyone who knows the history of my injuries knows that I don’t have a ‘good eye,’ but half a good eye. 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,” Crenshaw said in a statement. 

“The surgery went well, but I will be effectively blind for about a month,” he added. “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.”

Crenshaw said he will not be conducting any interviews or posting on social media, other than to update the public on his medical progress, “for a while.” 

“I have gotten through worse before, and I will get through this,” Crenshaw said.

Crenshaw first burst onto the national scene when he ran for his Houston-area seat in 2018. His physical appearance was mocked in a widely criticized joke on “Saturday Night Live,” after which he went on the show to bury the hatchet, drawing plaudits from members of both parties.