Donald Trump’s personal physician has provided answers after recent photos of the president went viral online, which showed that he had swollen ankles and some bruising on his left hand. In a press conference on Thursday afternoon, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt read a letter from Trump’s personal physician, revealing that ultrasounds of the president’s legs showed evidence of “chronic insufficiency AB9.” Leavitt quoted the doctor in saying it is a common condition, especially for people over 70, and that there was no evidence of deep vein thrombosis or arterial disease.
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine: “Chronic venous insufficiency occurs when your leg veins don’t allow blood to flow back up to your heart. Normally, the valves in your veins make sure that blood flows toward your heart. But when these valves don’t work well, blood can also flow backwards. This can cause blood to collect (pool) in your legs.” A vascular surgeon who spoke to Reuters commented on the president’s situation by saying that he must seek treatment, even with no underlying health condition, given that “severe swelling and ulcers can develop, warranting more significant medical interventions” if it goes ignored. That would include wearing compression socks and elevating his legs.
Trump’s physician, a U.S. Navy officer named Sean Barbabella, further stated in the letter that the bruising on the president’s hand was “consistent with minor soft tissue irritation from frequent hand shaking and the use of aspirin which is taken as part of a standard cardiovascular prevention regimen.” Trump was photographed with a bruise on his hand on July 16th, which was similar to one that prompted similar speculations after the president met with French President Emmanuel Macron in February. At that time, Leavitt told reporters that “President Trump has bruises on his hand because he’s constantly working and shaking hands all day every day.”
In April, an examination at Walter Reed Hospital showed that the president had no major health issues, however, this has been widely questioned recently.
