US Attorney General Merrick Garland is scheduled to undergo back surgery next weekend, the Department of Justice confirmed on Monday, temporarily transferring his official responsibilities to Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco.
Garland, 71, is scheduled to undergo a “minor” medical procedure called interlaminar decompression, which aims to relieve stenosis in his spine. The surgery aims to relieve the persistent lower back pain that the Attorney General suffers from.
According to the National Health Service (NHS), interlaminar decompression is a surgical procedure used to treat spinal conditions, most commonly spinal stenosis, which is a narrowing of spaces in the spine that can cause pressure on the spinal cord and nerves.
After surgery, the patient will be encouraged to walk and move around, and the patient will likely be discharged from the hospital after one to four days. It will take about 4 to 6 weeks to reach the expected level of movement and function.
According to Justice Department Public Affairs Director Xochitl Hinojosa, Garland will undergo general anesthesia for approximately 90 minutes. During this time, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco will assume Garland's official responsibilities.
“Delegation of duties will go to the Deputy District Attorney shortly before the procedure, during the procedure, and briefly after the procedure to allow for recovery from general anesthesia,” Hinojosa said in a statement to NBC News.
“The prosecutor is expected to return home on the same day of the proceeding and resume his work the week of February 5,” Hinojosa added.
More details about the prosecutor's condition and the results of surgery are likely to be made available after the procedure. The Justice Department did not indicate that there would be any further disruption of Garland's duties beyond the short recovery period.
The temporary change comes as Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is also under scrutiny for failing to immediately disclose that he had been hospitalized for complications from prostate cancer treatment.
It is noteworthy that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin (70 years old) secretly underwent surgery for prostate cancer on December 22. He was put under general anesthesia for the operation after becoming seriously ill with a spreading infection and intestinal problems that required a tube to drain his stomach.
Then, on Jan. 1, he was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland after complications from surgery.
The Pentagon said Austin did not inform Joe Biden, the White House, or Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks about the medical procedure.
Austin kept everyone in the dark about his condition until early January, including Joe Biden, even though the United States is embroiled in conflicts in the Middle East, Europe and a hotspot in the South China Sea.
Austin's chief of staff, Kelly Magsamin, had previously ordered an internal investigation into the mishandling of Austin's absence. Magsamen was blamed in press reports for failing to notify the White House, Congress, and senior Department of Defense staff of Austin's illness and absence because she was sick with the flu.
