Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s medical procedure has been completed and his duties and obligations have resumed

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin returned home Friday after his “non-surgical medical procedure” and has since returned to duty, said Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon’s chief spokesman.

Austin underwent the two-and-a-half-hour procedure at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, during which his authorities were temporarily transferred to Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks.

“He is now back home and will continue his official schedule which includes events on Monday for Memorial Day,” said Ryder, who announced the proceedings in a statement released Friday afternoon.

“The procedure is related to a bladder problem that Austin suffered following surgery he underwent to treat prostate cancer earlier this year,” Ryder said at the time.

“The Secretary has determined that he will be temporarily unable to perform his functions and duties during the proceedings, therefore Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks will assume the functions and duties of the Secretary of Defense and will serve as Secretary to Acting Defense,” Ryder said. added.

Ryder noted that the bladder problem is not related to Austin’s prostate cancer diagnosis and “had no effect on his excellent cancer prognosis.”

Ryder added that “notifications from the White House and Congress have taken place.”

Friday’s announcement continues transparency about Austin’s health and potential treatments he has committed to undertaking following the controversy surrounding his secret hospitalization on New Year’s Day.

Austin had been hospitalized due to complications resulting from surgery he underwent in late December to treat his prostate cancer.

Neither President Joe Biden nor his top advisers were informed that Austin had been diagnosed with prostate cancer, had surgery to treat it, and was hospitalized in early January due to complications related to this procedure.

While Austin remained hospitalized for several days in early January, her duties were temporarily transferred to Hicks, although she was not informed until days later. It was after learning that he had been hospitalized that the White House was first informed that Austin had been hospitalized for several days.

Fury over the lack of proper notifications led to an internal Pentagon review that resulted in changes to who should be informed of the secretary’s health, when a transfer of authority had taken place and why the temporary transfer was taking place.