The Pentagon announced on Friday that US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin underwent a “non-surgical treatment” related to his bladder around 6 p.m. Eastern Time. During the procedure, he transferred his authority to his deputy.
According to Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder, Austin successfully underwent selective minimally invasive non-surgical follow-up treatment for his bladder issue at the Walter Reed Military Medical Center, lasting about 2.5 hours.
Ryder stated, “During this period, Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks assumed the functions and responsibilities of the Secretary of Defense and served as the Acting Secretary of Defense.”
The statement indicated that Austin resumed his functions and responsibilities as Secretary of Defense at 8:25 p.m. Eastern Time and has returned home.
It is expected that his official schedule will not be affected, including the scheduled Memorial Day activities.
Previously, Austin and his team faced sharp criticism for not disclosing his cancer surgery and hospital treatment publicly. The Pentagon did not even inform the White House about Austin’s health condition until three days after his hospitalization.
Known for valuing privacy, Austin and his team were concluded to have withheld the information not out of malice but to protect his privacy. Subsequently, the Pentagon has established new procedures to ensure notifying Congress and the White House in such cases.
Ryder mentioned that the White House and Congress were informed that Austin would receive treatment on Friday, adding that his cancer prognosis remains positive.
“The Secretary’s bladder issue is unrelated to his cancer diagnosis and has no impact on his favorable cancer prognosis. The Pentagon has notified the White House and Congress,” stated Ryder.