Neil Patrick Harris Shares Update on Husband David Burtka’s ‘Intensive’ 7-Hour Spinal Surgery

Neil Patrick Harris gave an update on his husband David Burtka‘s health and recovery process following an “intensive” spinal surgery. While the couple hasn’t revealed much information regarding the reason behind the surgery, Harris commented underneath his post saying the seven-hour long surgery had been “planned for a while,” adding, “Three disks being dicks” along with the hashtag, triplefusion.

“David is recovering from spinal surgery. It was fairly intensive, took over seven hours, but he’s in good spirits and doing well,” Harris said in the caption. “It’s one of the scarier, more hopeless feelings — hoping for the best, trying not to fear the worst, waiting a call with news. Thankfully, all went according to plan. Whew..! Two thumbs up,” he continued. “I love you, David. Your strength inspires me,” he wrote, adding, “And thanks to NY-Presbyterian Hospital for, well, everything.”

He also shared another post showing his husband was using humor to make it through the recovery process. In the Instagram video, Burtka starts cracking jokes as he points to his new neck brace. “Yo, yo, yo. I’m bringing —this is the new fashions for 2021. I’m going to bedazzle it when I get out of here,” a very dazed and confused Burtka said, gesturing to his brace. The former Doogie Howser, M.D. clarified in the video, “He’s going in and out of lucidness.”

“A few hours after surgery. Not sure David will remember saying any of this… but damn, it makes me laugh. I appreciate his positive energy so so much,” Harris captioned the post.

Harris and Burtka were married in 2014 after 10 years of dating. The couple shares a set of 10-year-old twins named Gideon and Harper. The following day Burtka shared the numerous gifts and flowers he’d received after his procedure from his family and friends –– including get well cards from his kids. “Plus my incredible kids!” he wrote in his story. “They are the best!! So grateful! So lucky- and so high on OXY! [laughing emoji].”

Burtka’s surgery comes almost two years after Harris underwent surgery following a rare sea urchin incident. “Had surgery today,” he informed his Instagram followers. “I tripped and hand planted onto a sea urchin almost two months ago while climbing rocky cliffs in Croatia. Most of the tiny spines I dug out myself, but two refused to leave and one got infected.” He added an ultrasound video showing the tendon still embedded deep within his arm, Harris explained, “Turns out it pierced through a tendon (see ultrasound video). Well, thanks to the surgical talents of Dr. Dan Polatsch and his team, I’m officially urchin free and on the mend.”