The Pentagon said on Tuesday that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is still in the hospital, suffering from difficulties following a surgery performed in December to treat prostate cancer.
The 70-year-old is anticipated to fully recover after his difficulties have cleared up, according to his doctors at Walter Reed National Military Medicine Center, Dr. John Maddox, director of trauma medicine, and Dr. Gregory Chesnut, director of the Center for Prostate Disease Research. In a hospital statement, the physicians stated, “His prognosis is excellent, as his prostate cancer was detected early.” Austin’s doctors stated that on December 22, he had his first minimally invasive prostate cancer surgery after a regular checkup in November. The following day, he returned home to rest.
But on New Year’s Day, “Austin was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center with complications from the December 22 procedure, including nausea with severe abdominal, hip, and leg pain,” his doctors said. “Initial evaluation revealed a urinary tract infection. On January 2, the decision was made to transfer him to the ICU for close monitoring and a higher level of care.” “Further evaluation revealed abdominal fluid collections impairing the function of his small intestines. This resulted in the backup of his intestinal contents, which was treated by placing a tube through his nose to drain his stomach,” the doctors said.
Defense Secretary
“He has progressed steadily throughout his stay,” Maddox and Chesnut added. “His infection has cleared. He continues to make progress and we anticipate a full recovery, although this can be a slow process.” While Austin is still in the hospital, he continues to perform his duties, the Pentagon said. His decision to keep his prostate cancer surgery private has prompted concerns about transparency in leadership.N During a briefing on Tuesday, Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder stated, “Secretary Austin continues to recover well and remains in good spirits.” “He’s in contact with his senior staff, has full access to the required secure communications capabilities and continues to monitor DOD’s day-to-day operations worldwide.”
Defense Secretary
“At this time, I do not have any information to provide in terms of when he might be released from the hospital,” said Ryder. In the US, prostate cancer ranks as the second most frequent cancer among males. However, as the chief scientific officer of the American Cancer Society, Dr. William Dahut, noted to CNN, the risk of prostate cancer is not distributed uniformly. Compared to white men, black men had a 70% higher diagnosis rate for prostate cancer and a more than twofold higher death rate from the illness. Dahut stated, “There is a higher incidence, but there is also a much higher mortality.” “So, black men should generally discuss screening with their physicians around the age of 40.”
Defense Secretary
Dr. Oliver Sartor, head of the Mayo Clinic’s Genitourinary Cancer Disease Group, told CNN that Austin’s cancer was reassuring because it was found through a blood test and removed surgically. According to Sartor, “the worst prostate cancers are the ones that have spread and are not operable.” Thus, in my opinion, the fact that he underwent surgery is a generally positive sign. According to Sartor, Austin’s prostatectomy, which removed his prostate, significantly reduced his chance of passing away in the ensuing five years. It’s most likely 1% or less. A person who has had surgery on their prostate is extremely unlikely to pass away in the next five years, according to Sartor.
Defense Secretary
Serious complications following prostate surgery are “very rare,” according to Dr. Michael Stifelman, the top urologist at New Jersey’s Hackensack University Medical Center, who spoke with CNN. However, he continued, there are a number of ways that the fluid buildup that Austin’s doctors described can occur. During a prostatectomy, doctors have to cut and rejoin the urethra, the tube that carries urine from the bladder out of the body. “If that reconnecting of the bladder back to the urethra is not perfect, sometimes urine can leak out of the body and go into the abdomen,” Stifelman explained. Another way fluid might build up is after surgeons remove lymph nodes; if they are not sealed completely, “sometimes you can have what’s called a lymphatic leak,” Stifelman noted. Finally, whenever tissue is removed from the body, fluid can leak and cause a buildup. Luckily, all three complications heal with time, Stifelman said. “He can expect a full recovery,” Stifelman added.
Defense Secretary
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