(Reporting and Writing by Alex Dobuzinskis)

It seems contestants on the ABC show “Dancing With The Stars” are spending more time seeing doctors than their ballroom partners. Foot injuries have tripped up a few of the contestants, but this week Julianne Hough revealed that she will take time away from the competition for a different kind of ailment – a condition called endometriosis, which requires that she undergo surgery to remove her appendix.

Hough, who is partnered with “Hannah Montana” star Cody Linley, went to the hospital with stomach pains after last week’s competition. A statement on her Web site said Hough will have her appendix removed on the advice of her doctor, and on Monday’s show the 20-year-old dancing star said she will have the surgery on Tuesday.

“I’m going to hopefully be back, if everything goes well, next week,”
Hough said.

In the meantime, Linley will partner with former “Dancing With The Stars” contestant and professional dancer Edyta Sliwinska in rehearsals, and possibly during the competition if Hough needs more time off to recuperate.

The show’s co-host, Tom Bergeron, was charmed with Hough’s optimism. “Only Julianne would say, ‘I’ve having my appendix out tomorrow, I’ll be back in a week,’” Bergeron said.

Endometriosis affects about 5 to 10 percent of women, and it involves tissue normally found in the female uterus growing outside the uterus, on the surface of organs in the pelvis or abdomen.

Hough is a two-time “Dancing With the Stars” champion, and she has been lighting up the dance floor again this season.

The same cannot be said of Cloris Leachman, 82, an Oscar-winning actress who often has the fans on her side, but has been hearing it from the judges. On Monday, she scored far below the competition with a score of 15. Judge Carrie Ann Inaba was not pulling any punches, as she brought up last week’s elimination of singer Toni Braxton, and her view that Leachman is lagging behind.

“We lost Toni Braxton for this, and this kind of makes me sad because it’s unfortunate to have a great dancer leave the competition for this,” Inaba said.

Later on in the show, after co-host Samantha Harris told viewers to get ready for the “hip-hop granny,” Leachman joined the rest of the cast in a hip-hop routine.

“Some of you looked hip and some of you looked hip replacement,” judge Bruno Tonioli quipped.

With comments like those coming from the judges, it could only be a matter of time before Leachman is forced to move on from the show. Fans await Tuesday’s elimination round.