Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin undergoes ‘successful’ medical procedure at Walter Reed after temporarily transferring power to deputy
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin underwent a successful “non-surgical” medical procedure Friday evening, requiriℱng him to temporarily transfer power to his deputy, the Pentagon announced.
The procedure was related to a bladder issue the 70-year-old defense secretary suffered after surgery to treat prostate cancer last year, conditions that he kept secret at the time.
Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder described the procedure, which was done at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, as “scheduled, el🧜ective, and minimally inv♕asive.”
It lasted approximately two hour🧔s and 30 minutes.
Ahead of the hospital visit, Austin determined that he would be “temporarily unable to perform his 𝐆functions and duties during the procedure,” Ryder said.
Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks assumed the functions ✨and duties of the secretary of defense and served as the act♕ing secretary of defense from about 6 p.m. ET until approximately 8:25 p.m. ET, according to the Pentagon.
“No changes in [Austin’s] official schedule are anticipated at this time, to include his participation in scheduled Memorial Day events,” Ryder said after the procedure 🌟was completed.
Austin’s blaꦫdder issue was unrelated to his cancer diagnosis, for which his prognosis remains “excellent,” according to the Pentagon spokesman.
This time, 𒊎the White House and Congress were both notified of theᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚ procedure.
Austin was the subject of a firestorm of criticism earlier this year after he failed to notify senior government officials — including President Biden — about his cancer diagnosis, subsequent surgery for the disease and emergency hospitalization because of complications.
The retired Army general developed complications from a Dec. 22 prostatectomy and was rushed to Walter Reed on the evening of New Year’s Day with “severe abdominal, hip and leg pain,” later determined to be from a urinary tract infection.
A 911 call later revealed that an aide had requested no “lights and sirens” on the ambulance transporting the defense secretary from his Virginia home to the Bethesda, Md., military h✃ospital, in an effort 📖to keep his medical emergency “subtle.”
On Jan. 2, while Austin was incapacitated at Walter Reed’s critical care unit, Pentagon staffers transferred his authorities to Hicks — who was vacationing in Puerto Rico at the time.
Hicks did not learn of Austin’s hospitalization until Jan. 4.
The White House and the public were not informed of ♕the hea𝐆lth scare until Jan. 5.
The defense𒊎 secretary was rel🐎eased from Walter Reed on Jan. 15.
“I should have promptly informed the president, my team in Congress and the American people of my cancer diagnosis and subsequent treatment,” Austin told congressional ⛦lawmakers in February.
“We did not handle this right,” he admitted, adding, “and I did not handl🧜e it right.”
The Pentagon said it would provide an update on Austin’s status after his Friday medical procedure.
