See ‘Today’ Show Co-Host Savannah Guthrie’s Eye Before Injury and After Surgery

Savannah Guthrie is giving Today show fans an inside look at the surgery she underwent to repair a torn retina caused when 3-year-old son Charley hit her in the face with a toy train — literally! The anchor took to Instagram after her return to her morning show Monday to share before and after photos of her retina, warning that it could be a little graphic for people who are sensitive to that kind of imagery.

“Actually this isn’t gross at all but if retina pictures aren’t your cup of tea then don’t swipe!” she began. “The first pic is my retina ‘before’ – with a massive tear… that’s that big dark spot in the middle of the pic. The next one is my retina ‘after’ – smooth as butter and reattached like new like the day I was born!”

“I’m so grateful to the careful doctors who operated on me and very hopeful about getting most of my vision back eventually!!” she continued, ending on a cheeky note, “Here’s to 20/20 in 2020! #retinasofinstagram.”

Monday marked Guthrie’s return to Today after a month-long absence during which she underwent surgery and experienced difficult recovery.

“When I say ‘Good to see you,’ I really mean it,” Guthrie said upon her return, with Kotb responding, “I gotta tell you, it feels so good to have you sitting right here.”

Guthrie’s recovery from surgery was “uniquely challenging,” she told PEOPLE recently, explaining she had to stay face down for much of the 1-3 weeks of recovery.

“The retinal tear had deteriorated sharply, and I lost my vision,” she explained of the scary moment she realized how serious her injury was. “And that’s what happens if you don’t fix this: You lose your sight.”

“That was the first time I felt freaked out,” she added. “I was hoping that they weren’t going to get in there and see, ‘Oh, it’s worse than we thought. We can’t fix it.’ That was probably the lowest I felt, because I was just really scared.”

Photo credit: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Vanity Fair