Austin released from hospital after complications from prostate cancer surgery

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was released from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Monday after being treated for complications from prostate cancer surgery, according to The Associated Press.

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Austin was in the hospital for two weeks. According to The Washington Post, Austin will work from home as he recovers.

Austin, 70, underwent the surgery on Dec. 22 at Walter Reed but developed an infection a week later and was hospitalized on Jan. 1 where he was admitted to intensive care.

Austin’s health problems became public when the original surgery, then the hospitalization for complications were kept from White House senior aides, and even President Joe Biden, for weeks.

Biden was not told about Austin’s hospitalization until Jan. 4 and was not told that Austin had prostate cancer until Jan. 9.

Biden has called Austin’s failure to tell him about the hospitalization a “lapse in judgment,’ The New York Times reported. Biden said he still has confidence in Austin and will not call for his resignation.

It was announced last week that the Pentagon’s inspector general will Investigate the handling of Austin’s hospitalization, according to the Times.

The inspector general, Robert P. Storch, wrote in a memo to Austin and the deputy defense secretary, Kathleen H. Hicks, that his office would examine “the roles, processes, procedures, responsibilities and actions” related to the hospitalization, the Times reported.

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