Zach Roloff is currently in recovery after having to undergo emergency brain surgery on Wednesday.
Tori informed fans that the Little People Big World star had to have the unexpected surgery to revise his existing brain shunt. She later updated fans on social media to let them know that Zach came out of the surgery OK.
“It’s been a scary 72 hours but he is doing well and recovering!” Tori wrote on Instagram on Thursday in the caption of several photos of Zach at the hospital. “Thank you so much to everyone for the prayers that you have covered us in. We feel them! We are so incredibly blessed by our neurosurgeon team and their attentiveness to Zach’s needs!”
“…I’m here praying that Zach’s recovery is quick and easy and that this will be our answered prayers to relieving his migraines! You’re a freaking bad ass, Zach. You just had brain surgery… and handled it like a rockstar. I’m so proud of you,” Tori wrote.
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Zach’s father, Matt, took to Facebook on Thursday to let fans know that, despite the fact that he’s currently vacationing on a cruise ship, the Roloffs are all keeping each other informed on Zach’s condition.
“Family has been in constant contact and communication,” Matt wrote on Facebook. “We are all praying for Zach as he undergoes a[n] important shunt revision. He’s in good hands with Tori advocating tooth and nail for his best interest… all prayers up please for Zach’s successful recovery.”
According to the John Hopkins Medicine website, a shunt is a hollow tube put into a patient’s brain to help drain cerebrospinal fluid, while also moving the fluid to a part of the body that can reabsorb it.
This is not the first time that Zach has had to undergo surgery on his shunt. During the first season of ‘Little People Big World’ in 2006, Zach had surgery to correct the shunt he had surgically implanted as a child. During that episode, Amy stated that it could be fatal if the pressure on the brain caused by fluid accumulation was not addressed.
Amy posted to Instagram Stories on Thursday to let her fans know that she is currently babysitting Zach and Tori’s children so that Tori could be with Zach.
“You have to rise to the occasion and I was happy to be able to [babysit] for Zach and Tori,” Amy told her followers. “…Zach is in the hospital, he has to go through some surgery and so we’re just hoping and wishing for the best with lots of prayers. So if you feel like praying, I would so, so appreciate for their family. I’m a firm believer in the power of prayer, and the good Lord answers them.”
(Photos: TLC; Instagram)
I have a friend whose daughter (who has hydrocephalus) has had a shunt since she was very young, and now she’s in her early 40s. Periodically, as she grew, she had to have it replaced; and, of course it is still monitored. As my friend explained, it’s not a serious crisis when one needs replacing. It’s a normal procedure for people with shunts.
It’s no picnic that Zach is in the hospital. But, as usual, the family is hyping this to promote the show; because Zach’s “entitled” attitude has not helped the ratings much lately. Tch, tch.
I will pray for a quick recovery.
Glad Amy was able to help out with the grandkids.
That’s pretty scary that they had to revise it so suddenly, I hope he makes a full recovery.
This one has been in since he was a teenager. I remember when he had that one put in. This is not the first revision. I have one too. I was almost 7 when it was put in, but luckily, I’ve never needed a revision. Praying for Zach and the family.
Hope he heals well. They seem to be really nice.
His twin brother and wife make my skin crawl.
Exactly! People who think that Zach has an entitled attitude are getting the twins mixed up. Jeremy is the one with the entitled attitude. That’s why he and Audrey deserve each other.