Jan. 9 (UPI) — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is in treatment for prostate cancer and recently underwent surgery, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center said in a statement on Tuesday.
A “minimally invasive surgical procedure” which was described as “uneventful” was performed on Dec. 22, after Austin was diagnosed with prostate cancer earlier in the month. The statement from Walter Reed is the first confirmation that Austin has been diagnosed with cancer.
“Changes in his laboratory evaluation in early December 2023 identified prostate cancer which required treatment. On Dec. 22, 2023, after consultation with his medical team, he was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and underwent a minimally invasive surgical procedure called a prostatectomy to treat and cure prostate cancer,” Dr. John Maddox, Trauma Medical Director, and Dr. Gregory Chesnut, Center for Prostate Disease Research at Walter Reed, wrote in an emailed statement to UPI. “His prostate cancer was detected early, and his prognosis is excellent.”
Austin was admitted to Walter Reed’s intensive care unit over a week later, on Jan. 1, after experiencing intestinal complications from the Dec. 22 procedure. He remained hospitalized for at least three days without notifying the Biden administration.
“Initial evaluation revealed a urinary tract infection,” said Maddox and Chesnut. “On Jan. 2, the decision was made to transfer him to the ICU for close monitoring and a higher level of care. Further evaluation revealed abdominal fluid collections impairing the function of his small intestines.”
After draining the fluid with a “non-surgical drain placement,” Walter Reed doctors said Austin “progressed steadily throughout his stay” and that his infection has cleared. While doctors expect a full recovery, they warn it “can be a slow process.”
The previously undisclosed hospitalization has sparked a review by the White House of the protocols in place to delegate authority when a Cabinet-level secretary is indisposed.
On Tuesday, White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients notified agencies of the review and ordered that they share these plans with the White House in a memo to all Cabinet secretaries.
Zients writes that, while the review is ongoing, Cabinet-level agencies must notify the Offices of Cabinet Affairs and himself if they anticipate a delegation of authority. They also must share their protocols with the Office of Cabinet Affairs by Friday.
“To the extent that your existing protocol does not currently address the above-listed considerations, please update your protocols accordingly,” Zients writes.
