Sen. Patrick Leahy undergoes hip replacement surgery

Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., is recovering at a Washington area hospital after surgery to replace a broken hip following a fall at his home, his office said Thursday evening.

Leahy, 82, fell Wednesday night in McLean, Virginia, according to his office, which initially said the surgery was intended to repair his hip. A statement said doctors decided to do hip replacement surgery, which was completed Thursday afternoon.

Leahy and his wife Marcelle, who were known to take long walks together before the fall, were overwhelmed and humbled by the outpouring of support, his office said in a statement after the surgery.

After sufficient healing, Leahy's office said he is expected to begin physical therapy. His office didn't say when Leahy will be back in Capitol Hill. NBC News asked for comment.

The Democrats hold the slimmest of margins in the evenly divided Senate. Sometimes, the absence of just one senator can delay a vote.

Leahy was born with blindness in one eye, which began a lifelong struggle with reduced depth perception, his office said. He has taken some remarkable dingers over the years, but this one caught up with him. The longest-serving senator, Leahy, announced in November that he will not seek re-election this fall. He will have served in the Senate for 48 years when his term ends in January.