By LOLITA C. BALDOR and TARA COPP (Associated Press)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has prostate most cancers, and his current secretive hospitalization was for surgical procedure and later to deal with a urinary tract an infection associated to that operation, his docs mentioned Tuesday.
The most cancers revelation solutions the primary query about Austin’s hospitalization, which has now lasted eight days. But it might solely add to questions of accountability, since President Joe Biden solely discovered concerning the most cancers analysis on Tuesday, though it was made a couple of month in the past.
“Nobody at the White House knew that Secretary Austin had prostate cancer until this morning,” mentioned John Kirby, the National Security Council spokesman. “And the president was informed immediately after.”
The 70-year-old Austin was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Dec. 22 and underwent surgical procedure to deal with the most cancers. He developed the an infection every week later. Biden and different senior administration officers weren’t advised for days about his hospitalization or his most cancers.
According to the docs, the most cancers was detected when Austin had a daily screening in early December. They mentioned he “underwent a minimally invasive surgical procedure” and went house the following day. But on Jan. 1 he reported nausea and extreme belly, hip and leg ache because of the an infection.
They mentioned his prostate most cancers was detected early, and his prognosis is great.
The most cancers revelation comes after days of persistent questions on Austin’s hospitalization and the delays in notifying key leaders. And it raises extra questions concerning the transparency and truthfulness of the Defense Department, which for the previous 4 days mentioned he was initially at Walter Reed for an “elective medical procedure,” and never prostate surgical procedure.
Asked about that alternative of wording, Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, mentioned in a briefing on Tuesday that it was developed in session with Austin’s docs.
When pressed on the delays in public notification, Ryder mentioned, “Despite the frequency of prostate cancer, discussions about screening, treatment and support are often deeply personal and private ones.” It was nonetheless not clear Tuesday how this may have an effect on Austin’s job, journey or different public engagements going ahead. Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks is predicted to tackle a few of his day-to-day duties as he recovers.
The lack of transparency about Austin’s hospitalization —- together with the failure to inform Biden and different high officers about it or the explanation for it for days — has triggered sharp criticism.
Austin spoke with Biden on Saturday, the identical day he issued a public assertion saying he acknowledged he may have executed a greater job insuring the general public was knowledgeable about his hospitalization, and mentioned “I commit to doing better.” He didn’t, nevertheless, inform the president in that telephone name that he had most cancers.
Several Republican lawmakers even mentioned Austin ought to be ousted. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, launched a proper inquiry into the state of affairs. And, earlier Tuesday, the White House chief of employees ordered Cabinet members to inform his workplace in the event that they ever can’t carry out their duties.
Dr. John Maddox, trauma medical director, and Dr. Gregory Chesnut, director of the Center for Prostate Disease at Walter Reed, offered the primary particulars of Austin’s prognosis in an announcement put out by the Pentagon. They mentioned he was underneath anesthesia in the course of the preliminary surgical procedure, and when he went to intensive care on Jan. 2 the an infection had triggered an intestinal backup and his abdomen needed to be drained with a tube in his nostril.
Medical consultants mentioned it’s seemingly Austin had urine leak into his stomach, a uncommon complication of prostate surgical procedure, and that led to a bowel drawback.
“All of this is temporary and reverses relatively quickly,” mentioned Dr. Benjamin Davies, a professor of urology on the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
“We anticipate a full recovery, although this can be a slow process,” Maddox mentioned. They famous that prostate most cancers is the commonest most cancers amongst American males, and it impacts 1 in each 8 males — and 1 in each 6 African American males — throughout their lifetime.
The docs mentioned Austin underwent a surgical process referred to as a prostatectomy. That is a standard process to take away all or a part of the prostate gland and is commonly used to deal with prostate most cancers, however just isn’t the one choice. Some males and their docs select radiation therapy or actively monitoring the illness, which includes watching it intently however no speedy therapy.
Prostate surgical procedure will be executed with small incisions and assistance from a tiny digicam. It’s not minor surgical procedure, consultants mentioned, however “it’s not as big a deal as it once was,” mentioned Dr. David Penson, who chairs Vanderbilt University’s urology division. “It’s not all that different than, say, having your gallbladder removed with a laparoscope.”
Meanwhile, the Biden administration, reeling from studying of Austin’s shock, is mounting a coverage assessment. And the Pentagon has additionally begun its personal assessment.
Chief of employees Jeff Zients despatched a memo to Cabinet secretaries directing them to ship to the White House by Friday any present procedures for delegating authority within the occasion of incapacitation or lack of communication.
Biden and different high officers weren’t knowledgeable for days that Austin had been hospitalized and had turned over energy to his deputy. A Pentagon spokesman blamed the lapse on a key staffer being out sick with the flu.
“Agencies should ensure that delegations are issued when a Cabinet Member is traveling to areas with limited or no access to communication, undergoing hospitalization or a medical procedure requiring general anesthesia, or otherwise in a circumstance when he or she may be unreachable,” Zients mentioned within the memo. He additionally directed businesses to doc when any such switch of authority happens and that the individual serving within the performing function promptly set up contact with related White House employees.
A replica of the memo was obtained by The Associated Press.
During Austin’s two hospitalizations, he transferred a few of his authorities to Hicks, however she was not advised why. The White House was not knowledgeable Austin was within the hospital till Jan. 4, and the general public and Congress didn’t study of it till a day later.
The Pentagon issued a memo Monday on its inner assessment, and broadened the circle of leaders who would learn of any delegation of authorities by the protection secretary to make sure that, sooner or later, “proper and timely notification has been made to the President and White House and, as appropriate, the United States Congress and the American public.”
Going ahead, any time authority is transferred, a wider swath of officers may even be notified, to incorporate the Pentagon’s common counsel, the chair and vice chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the combatant commanders, service secretaries, the service chiefs of employees, the White House Situation Room, and the senior employees of the secretary and deputy secretary of protection.
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Associated Press writers Zeke Miller and Seung Min Kim contributed from Washington, D.C.; AP Medical Writer Carla Okay. Johnson contributed from Washington state.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”