The smiles that show she's going to be OK: Hillary Clinton discharged from hospital with beaming Bill and Chelsea after blood clot brain scare

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been discharged from New York-Presbyterian Hospital on Wednesday holding tightly to the hand of her smiling daughter Chelsea and flanked by her beaming husband Bill, three days after she was admitted for a blood clot in her head.

Wearing dark sunglasses and a warm coat to brave the New York winter chill, she walked down the steps of the hospital into a waiting van - creating a media frenzy since the 65-year-old has not been seen publicly since December 7.

Secretary Clinton has been hospitalized since Sunday when her doctors discovered a blood clot in her head, in a vein behind her right ear that helps carry blood away from the brain. She is being treated with blood thinners to help dissolve the clot and doctors say she will make a full recovery.

Finally leaving: Hillary Clinton was alone in the car with her security team when she finally left New York-Presbyterian Hospital after being formally discharged on Wednesday

Rest: The Secretary of State is expected to make a full recovery and will rest at home while doing so

There was initially confusion when Clinton first appeared on Wednesday afternoon because it was unclear whether she was being discharged from the hospital or if she had only been transported to a nearby medical facility for tests.

Surrounded by her upbeat family, a team of security guardsand one doctor, she exited the hospital and was driven across the street to another facility but then returned to the hospital about a half hour later.

But by early evening, her spokesman confirmed that she had indeed been released from the hospital on West 168th Street in Manhattan.

'Secretary Clinton was discharged from the hospital this evening. Her medical team advised her that she is making good progress on all fronts, and they are confident she will make a full recovery,' Secretary Clinton's spokesman Philippe Reines said in a statement.

All smiles: Bill and Chelsea Clinton both grin as they escort Hillary, 65, from the hospital, wearing dark sunglasses and a warm coat to brave the New York winter chill

Family: Hillary Clinton holds her daughter's hand as she emerges from the hospital on Wednesday after three days

On the mend: Hillary Clinton (left) leaves New York Presbyterian Hospital with husband, Bill (top right), and daughter, Chelsea (center) in New York. Her doctors expect she will make a full recovery

Support: Holding tightly to her daughter's hand, the secretary of state exited the hospital on Wednesday afternoon. Her spokesman confirmed she was discharged this evening

'She's eager to get back to the office, and we will keep you updated on her schedule as it becomes clearer in the coming days.

'Both she and her family would like to express their appreciation for the excellent care she received from the doctors, nurses and staff at New York Presbyterian Hospital Columbia University Medical Center.'

Her daughter Chelsea Clinton confirmed that the Secretary is heading home, presumably to recover in the family's house in the upscale New York suburb of Chappaqua. The Clintons bought the home, located only a 40-minute drive outside of Manhattan, in 1999 and have used it as their primary residence for much of the last decade. Read more: Dailymail.co.uk