'Austin kept Pentagon in the dark about prostate cancer surgery that caused absence'

 Not even Lloyd Austin’s colleagues knew the defense secretary had undergone surgery to treat prostate cancer last month — complications from which put him out of commission for five days last week, a Pentagon spokesman admitted Tuesday.

Austin underwent the initial prostatectomy on Dec. 22 and developed “severe abdominal, hip and leg pain” from a urinary tract infection late on New Year’s Day, his doctors announced.

“As far as the situation in terms of what the elective surgery was, we’re providing that information to you as we received it,” Air Force Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder told reporters moments later from the Pentagon briefing room. “We got it this afternoon and provided it literally minutes before I stepped in here.”

Austin, 70, was released from Walter Reed Army Medical Center one day after the initial procedure to remove his prostate. 

But he was back in the hospital a little more than a week later and was moved into intensive care on Jan. 2.

Between Jan. 1 and Jan. 5, Austin was unable to execute his duties — while the Pentagon failed to inform not only President Biden of the situation, but also Austin’s deputy, Kathleen Hicks, who was on vacation in Puerto Rico at the time.

The White House said Monday that Austin has since resumed his work from his hospital bed.

Lloyd Austin has been hospitalized since Monday, an Air Force general said.REUTERS

Hospital officials said the infection has “cleared” and that they expect Austin to make a full recovery, “although this can be a slow process.”

Austin’s chief of staff Kelly Magsamen issued a memorandum Tuesday announcing that the DoD’s director of administration and management would “immediately lead a review” of the incident and “evaluate the processes and procedures through which the deputy secretary of defense was notified that she should carry out” Austin’s functions.

Ryder told reporters that the Pentagon “recognize[s] that we have to do a better job in terms of timeliness and transparency when it comes to, especially, the secretary’s health.”

“We’re going to look at what we could have done better to include within my own organization on the public affairs side and making sure that we are acknowledging and asking those hard questions about ensuring that the public … Congress, and the news media have a timely and accurate understanding of the Scretary’s status,” he said.

https://nypost.com/2024/01/09/news/lloyd-austin-absence-caused-by-prostate-cancer-surgery-hospital/