REALITY TV NEWSVicki Gunvalson Reveals Emergency Surgery Disrupted Her Knee Replacement Recovery Before 'RHOC' Reunion Filming
Vicki Gunvalson revealed she was in 'major pain' before her second knee surgery.
Oct. 12 2026, Published 6:45 p.m. ET
Vicki Gunvalson said she required emergency knee surgery due to a prior replacement complication just hours before The Real Housewives of Orange County reunion.
“I just wasn’t feeling good. [I was in] major pain," Gunvalson recalled during an appearance on her podcast, "My Friend, My Soulmate, My Podcast."
Vicki Gunvalson said she was 'mentally prepared' but 'physically unprepared' as the knee surgery was unexpected.
Gunvalson's Initial Knee Replacement Led to Emergency Surgery
Gunvalson said her previous knee surgery isn't her surgeon's fault.
Gunvalson said she initially underwent knee replacement surgery on September 11 but continued to experience significant pain rather than the recovery she had anticipated.
“[After an] X-ray, [my doctor] called and said, ‘Get back up here. We got to take that knee out and put a different one in,'” she said.
"My body was rejecting that knee or there was a lot of infection around it,” she added.
Michael Smith Drove Six Hours to Help Gunvalson
Gunvalson said Michael Smith 'drove six hours after work' to help her.
Gunvalson credited her boyfriend, Michael Smith, with helping her return to her doctor following the medical emergency.
"My boyfriend Michael, God bless his heart, drove six hours after work,” she shared.
The couple arrived late that evening, and doctors scheduled her second surgery for the following morning.
According to Gunvalson, the emergency procedure lasted approximately four hours.
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Gunvalson's Recovery Time Before the 'RHOC' Reunion
Gunvalson said she had little time to 'rest up' before the 'RHOC' Season 20 reunion.
Despite undergoing another major operation, Gunvalson had to prepare for the RHOC Season 20 reunion shortly afterward.
She said, "So I didn’t have much time to rest up. Major surgery again. It was an emergency."
Despite the challenges, Gunvalson reflected positively on her experience with Bravo during the reunion, praising the network for taking such good care of her.
"I hired the surgical nurse to be there for me to keep my medications where it needed to be. I was very blessed to be there. I thought, 'Shoot, I'm gonna miss it.' The doctor was like, 'Is it that important?' I was like, 'Yeah! You need to get me stitched up, ready to go,'" she recalled.
Gunvalson's 'RHOC' Future
Vicki Gunvalson confirmed 'no conversation' happened about her future on 'RHOC.'
Gunvalson also addressed rumors about her future on the Bravo series, which she has been a part of since its debut in 2006.
Speculation had circulated that Gunvalson and Bravo had mutually agreed that she would not return for the following season.
“There is no conversation [about decisions for next season] with anybody [right] after the reunion,” she said.
The Real Housewives of Orange County Season 20 airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo.
