John C. Reagan, who entered the Bethesda Naval Medical Center in Maryland Sunday, was expected to spend three to four days recuperating in his hospital suite before returning to the White House on a limited work schedule next week. Regan for about 10 minutes before the surgery, Speakes said, and the chief of staff remained at the hospital until the surgery was completed. Frank C. Carlucci, whom Reagan had welcomed to the White House Saturday as his new assistant for national security affairs, is expected to brief the President during his hospitalization.
During the surgery, which began at a. David C. Utz of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. A spinal anesthetic to numb the lower body was administered, and Reagan, who will turn 76 a month from today, was awake throughout the surgery.
The amount of tissue removed during the procedure is slightly more than is contained in the normally walnut-size adult prostate. The gland, present only in males, produces some of the fluid contained in semen. The examination indicated conditions in the bladder were normal, the White House said. The operation, one of the most common surgeries for older men, is called a transurethral prostatectomy. It is performed through the urethra, the channel that connects the bladder to the outside of the body.
No skin incision is necessary. The President required no pain medicines immediately after the surgery, Speakes said. However, spinal anesthetics usually take three to four hours to wear off, after which some patients require painkillers. Most patients experience bleeding from the urethra for several days, De Kernion said. A tube called a catheter is temporarily left in the urethra to drain the bladder and to monitor the bleeding, he said.
Reagan was also given antibiotics, which are often used to lessen the chances of infection. After operations, patients are routinely checked for fevers, which could signal infection.
