Derek Hough reveals his wife, Hayley Erbert, had emergency brain surgery after burst blood vessel

Derek Hough's wife, Hayley Erbert, underwent emergency brain surgery after a cranial hematoma, Hough revealed in a Thursday Instagram post. 

Erbert became disoriented after Wednesday night's performance for the couple's Symphony of Dance tour and was hospitalized in Washington, D.C., Hough said. 

"She was diagnosed with a cranial hematoma from a burst blood vessel and required an emergency craniectomy," the professional dancer and "Dancing With the Stars" judge said. "She is in stable condition."

According to the Mayo Clinic, an intracranial hematoma is a collection of blood within the skull, which is usually caused by a blood vessel that bursts in the brain. Traumas such as a fall or a car accident can cause an intracranial hematoma. The condition can be life-threatening and usually requires immediate treatment, Mayo Clinic said.

During a craniectomy, a portion of the skull is removed to relieve pressure on the brain, according to the University of Rochester Medical Medical Center. The procedure is usually done when a patient has suffered a "very severe brain injury that involves significant amounts of bleeding around the brain or excessive swelling of the brain."

Hough did not share any information about how Erbert may have become injured. Last year, Erbert and Hough got into what Erbert described as "a pretty scary car accident in the mountains." She said she "walked away a little banged up, a swollen face, and four stitches above my eyebrow."

"I'm manifesting that 2023 is a year of health and strength. No more injuries," Erbert wrote after the 2022 injury.

Xochitl Gomez, who won the latest season of "Dancing With the Stars" earlier this week, sent well wishes to Erbert on Thursday.

"Focusing all my positivity and well wishes directly toward Hayley," Gomez wrote in an Instagram comment. "She is a shining light."

Hough and Erbert got married in late August and started their tour together about a month later.

Aliza Chasan

Aliza Chasan is a digital producer at 60 Minutes and CBSNews.com. She has previously written for outlets including PIX11 News, The New York Daily News, Inside Edition and DNAinfo. Aliza covers trending news, often focusing on crime and politics.

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