Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will visit Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Friday for a scheduled check-up regarding his recovery from complications following a prostate cancer treatment.
He “was seen today at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for a scheduled post-prostatectomy surveillance appointment,” Dr. John Maddox and Dr. Gregory Chesnut said in a statement. “He continues to recover well and is expected to make a full recovery. Secretary Austin’s prostate cancer was treated early and effectively, and his prognosis is excellent.”
Austin’s health has been a newsworthy topic in 2024 due to the secrecy surrounding his hospitalization and the delayed relay of that news to the White House, Congress, and the public.
He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in early December 2022 and underwent surgery to treat it on Dec. 22. Austin went back to the hospital on Jan. 1 with complications from the procedure.
Despite his hospitalization on Jan. 1, the White House was not informed of it until Jan. 4, one day before Congress and the public were notified. He was brought to the intensive care unit, where he remained for a portion of his hospital stay. On Jan. 2, Austin temporarily signed over some of his authority to Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks, which Defense Department officials have said is not uncommon, and he reassumed that power on Jan. 5.
Austin was released from the hospital on Jan. 15, two weeks after he arrived via ambulance. Since then, he has worked remotely while recuperating and doing physical therapy. He does not have a specific date set for his return to the Pentagon.
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“The secretary continues to recuperate from home,” Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder said Tuesday. “He’s recovering well. As I highlighted last week, part of his care at home continues to be physical therapy. But again, we’ll keep you updated on his return date to the Pentagon.”
Austin’s doctors have said they expect him to make a full recovery.
