Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was released from the hospital on Jan. 15, according to military officials.
Mr. Austin, 70, will continue his recovery at home and work remotely, the U.S. Department of Defense said in a statement.
Dr. John Maddox and Dr. Gregory Chesnut, the defense secretary’s doctors at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland, said that Mr. Austin’s “strength is rebounding.”
“He underwent a series of medical tests and evaluations and received non-surgical care during his stay to address his medical needs, to include resolving some lingering leg pains. He was discharged home with planned physical therapy and regular follow up. The secretary is expected to make a full recovery,” Dr. Maddox, trauma medical director at the center, and Dr. Chesnut, director of the Center for Prostate Disease Research at Walter Reed’s Murtha Cancer Center, said in a joint statement.
Because the prostate cancer Mr. Austin was diagnosed with was caught early and surgery was performed quickly, doctors aren’t planning any further treatment other than post-operation surveillance.
“I’m grateful for the excellent care I received at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and want to thank the outstanding doctors and nursing staff for their professionalism and superb support. I also am thankful and appreciative for all the well wishes I received for a speedy recovery,” Mr. Austin said. “Now, as I continue to recuperate and perform my duties from home, I’m eager to fully recover and return as quickly as possible to the Pentagon.”
Mr. Austin was admitted to the hospital on Jan. 1 after complications from an undisclosed surgery to treat the cancer, officials have said.
Mr. Austin didn’t alert the White House to his status until Jan. 4, and the public didn’t learn of the situation until the following day, prompting concerns about the lack of transparency and calls for him to resign.
“Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin must resign immediately,” Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), the chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Republican Conference, said in a statement over the weekend.
Mr. Austin has said he’s committed to being more transparent in the future and that the delays in notification were his responsibility. The Pentagon has blamed Mr. Austin’s chief of staff, who contracted influenza.
“It is not optimal for a situation like this to go as long as it did without the commander in chief knowing about it, or the national security adviser knowing about it, or frankly other leaders at the department of defense,” White House spokesman John Kirby said recently. “That’s not the way this is supposed to happen.”
President Joe Biden has expressed support for his defense secretary and has said that if Mr. Austin were to offer to resign, he wouldn’t accept it.
Defense officials have begun an internal review of the notification procedures in such cases. Congress and the Pentagon’s inspector general have started investigations into the matter.
Mr. Austin first was admitted in December 2023 to undergo a prostatectomy, or a surgery to remove the prostate gland. Mr. Austin was placed under anesthesia and temporarily transferred his powers to his deputy, Kathleen Hicks.
After complications such as severe abdominal pain arose and forced Mr. Austin to be readmitted, he again transferred authority to Ms. Hicks, even though she was in Puerto Rico and unaware of why Mr. Austin wasn’t able to perform his duties, according to defense officials.
The White House was informed finally of Mr. Austin’s status on Jan. 4 but not of the reason he was hospitalized. Officials and the public were told of the cancer diagnosis days later.
Hundreds of thousands of men are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year, according to the National Cancer Institute. A vast majority survive, especially if they receive early treatment.
