Teddi Mellencamp defends undergoing plastic surgery procedure during stage 4 cancer treatment
Reality star Teddi Mellencamp has revealed she underwent plastic surgery to remove excess skin from her eyelids while she continues to battle stage 4 cancer.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alumni, 45, shared she underwent an upper blepharoplasty in a social media video.
Teddi Mellencamp shared she underwent plastic surgery on her eyelids while battling stage 4 cancer. Instagram/@teddimellencamp
“Of course, it was fine with my cancer doctors, that’s why I agreed to do it,” she reassured her 1.2 million followers before explaining she remained awake during the cosmetic surgery procedure.
While some questioned why she would choose to undergo plastic surgery while actively fighting stage 4 cancer, most of the comments supported Mellencamp’s decision.
“Glad you’re able to do things for you now @teddimellencamp #f--kcancer,” one fan wrote.
Another said: “I truly appreciate when a celebrity lets us into their world gives us the truth about surgeries. Thank you very much Teddi Mellencamp.”
Mellencamp, who is the daughter of Jack & Diane singer John Mellencamp, was recovering from the plastic surgery procedure sharing a picture of herself with a bag of ice over her eyes during immunotherapy treatment for her cancer.
Mellencamp’s plastic surgeon Dr. Sarmela Sunder shared a before and after video of the reality star’s procedure.
“Teddi had noticed that the skin of her upper lids had been weighing heavily on her over the past couple of years,” Sunder captioned the video.
“For a lot of people, fluctuations in weight (due to natural causes, pregnancy, prolonged steroid use, medications) can lead to skin laxity,” the surgeon explained.
Many of Mellencamp’s supporters were glad to hear she was doing something for herself after a challenging battle with cancer. Instagram/@teddimellencamp
Sunder continued that Mellencamp had wanted the procedure for a while but was waiting “until she was medically cleared for it by her oncologists.”
“She got the ‘all-clear’ and we were able to perform the procedure under local anesthesia. Just like everything else in her life, Teddi handled it like a true champ!”
Mellencamp, meanwhile, was diagnosed with stage 2 melanoma in 2022. Her cancer progressed to stage 4 around March 2025 when doctors discovered it had spread to her lungs and brain.
She has taken her supporters along her challenging journey as she has undergone several surgeries, including the removal of brain tumours.
Mellencamp shared she is cancer free but not officially in remission. Instagram/@teddimellencamp
In October 2025, Mellencamp shared a positive update on her cancer battle, sharing the cancer was “gone” but it would take time to be considered in remission.
“The way the [doctors] said it works, it’s like one year, then two years, then at three years you’re allowed to be considered … in remission. But that was huge news,” she said.
