Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin underwent surgery to treat early-stage prostate cancer. The Pentagon reported that Austin is currently recovering from difficulties.
On December 22, the official, who is 70 years old, was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and had a minimally invasive surgical surgery.
Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) surveillance, a normal health screening method, was how Secretary Austin’s prostate cancer was discovered, according to the Pentagon, in early December 2023.
The following morning, Austin went back home following a successful surgery that was carried out under general anesthetic. Because of the early identification of the malignancy, his prognosis is considered excellent.
But on January 1, Austin had to go back to the hospital because of problems from a UTI. He was also feeling very bad about his stomach, hips, and legs. He was moved to the intensive care unit on January 2 for closer observation and more advanced medical attention.
Subsequent examinations revealed abdominal fluid accumulations impairing his small intestine’s ability to function. His stomach was drained with a tube inserted through his nose to treat this problem, and the abdominal fluid accumulations were managed using non-surgical drain installation.
According to the Pentagon, Austin has improved gradually while in the hospital and his infection has been cured. A full recovery is expected, despite the possibility of a sluggish healing phase.
National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said that Austin’s hospitalization and health concerns were communicated to the White House on Tuesday morning.
He said that better management of the matter might have been done and that the Department of Defense is reevaluating its processes to avoid future communication breakdowns.
Major General Pat Ryder guaranteed that Secretary Austin interacts with top personnel while in the hospital and has complete access to secure communications tools.
Austin also keeps an eye on daily operations while making critical decisions on defense and national security.
