COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster had minor knee surgery Thursday morning, his office has confirmed.
McMaster had orthopedic knee surgery to deal with what his office said was a slight meniscus tear that he suffered in 2022. The injury came while playing tennis with his wife, First Lady Peggy McMaster, according to his office.
The surgery began around 6:18 a.m. and lasted about 30 minutes, and McMaster was under general anesthesia while it happened.
HIs doctor said the procedure went without incident.
"Governor McMaster had a minor procedure this morning to correct a cartilage injury in his knee," said Dr. Jeffrey Guy, the governor's orthopedist. "No post-procedure limitations are expected."
McMaster was expected to resume his regular work schedule in the afternoon.
The governor's office said he notified Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette on Wednesday that he would have the procedure. The state's constitution allows the lieutenant governor to take executive action in case the governor is temporarily disabled.
This is the second medical procedure the governor has had in the last few months. Back in December, he had a minor outpatient heart procedure to correct paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, which is an intermittent irregular heartbeat. That procedure lasted about two to three hours. That condition, as it turns out, was discovered when the meniscus tear happened back in 2022 and he was scheduled to have a procedure back then.
McMaster, 76, has been governor since 2017, when he took over after then Governor Nikki Haley left to become U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. He was then elected to a full term in 2018, and was re-elected in 2022. At the completion of his current term, he will become the longest-serving governor in state history.