US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin released from hospital after recent health scare

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was released from the hospital Tuesday after undergoing a procedure for a bladder problem, the latest health scare for the Pentagon chief just as he sought to move past a furor over his handling of complications from prostate-cancer surgery.

Austin, 70, “is recovering well and resumed his full duties and functions,” the Defense Department said in a statement. But it said that “on the advice of his doctors, Secretary Austin will recuperate and perform his duties remotely from home for a period before returning to work at the Pentagon later this week.”

Doctors at Walter Reed National Medical Center said in a statement that Austin was treated for “a bladder issue” that “was corrected with non-surgical procedures.”

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What happened with the Pentagon chief?

Austin was treated for prostate cancer in late December and was hospitalized for two weeks in January over complications from that surgery, an episode that touched off a furor because he waited for days to inform President Joe Biden and Congress of the cancer and the hospitalization.

The latest health setback forced Austin to cancel a trip to Brussels to meet with other defense chiefs, and he transfered his duties to his deputy.

Austin was released from his initial hospitalization on Jan. 15 after about two weeks. He later apologized for his secrecy concerning the illness, including his failure to notify Biden of his cancer diagnosis for several days. He returned to work at the Pentagon on Jan. 29 for the first time in almost a month.

The secrecy set off criticism in Congress as lawmakers demanded explanations from Austin. The Pentagon’s internal watchdog said it would investigate whether the Defense Department’s procedures are sufficient to ensure appropriate notifications and a transfer of authority if a senior leader falls ill.