US President George W. Bush had five polyps removed during a "routine" colon cancer check on Saturday, but the White House said there was no cause for concern and that he had resumed power after a brief handover to Vice President Dick Cheney.
"None appeared worrisome," White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said of the five growths that were removed during the approximately half-hour long procedure, adding that "all of them were small."
The polyps -- each described as less than 1cm in size -- are being sent for routine microscopic examination and the results are expected in 48 to 72 hours, or tomorrow at the earliest.
The results will determine the final diagnosis and recommendations for future treatment, the spokesman said.
Stanzel said the procedure was a preplanned, "routine surveillance colonoscopy" and that doctors were not surprised by what they found.
"They did indicate they were all small, some very small and I would say that is why surveillance ... has become a part of the colorectal cancer screening process," he said, adding that the procedure was scheduled "out of an abundance of caution."
The 61-year-old president, who has twice before had non-cancerous growths removed from his colon, was "in good humor and will resume his normal activities at Camp David," he said.
The president ate breakfast, played with his dogs and went for a walk after the procedure and also planned to go for a bike ride later in the afternoon, Stanzel said.
The White House released a photograph taken after the procedure showing Bush in a jacket and blue jeans walking on Camp David grounds together with his chief of staff Joshua Bolten and his dog.
Bush was sedated during the procedure, in what Stanzel described as "conscious sedation."
"Bush was asleep but responsive during the colon check," Stanzel said.
"It would be accurate to describe him as `under' but this was not a general anaesthetic," adding that the sedation, which used propofol, has a "rapid awakening effect."
After the operation, Bush spoke by phone to his wife, Laura, who is in Texas celebrating her mother's birthday, Stanzel added.
In all, Cheney was in charge of the country for two hours and five minutes.
Cheney, 66, spent that time at his residence on Maryland's eastern shore in what Stanzel described as a "routine Saturday morning."
It was only the third time in US history that a president made use of the Constitution's transfer of power to a vice president, a move that is possible under the 25th amendment.
The only other times were when Ronald Reagan underwent surgery for colon cancer on July 13, 1985, and when Bush underwent a previous colonoscopy on June 29, 2002, White House officials said.
The Burmese junta has said that detained former leader Aung San Suu Kyi is “in good health,” a day after her son said he has received little information about the 80-year-old’s condition and fears she could die without him knowing. In an interview in Tokyo earlier this week, Kim Aris said he had not heard from his mother in years and believes she is being held incommunicado in the capital, Naypyidaw. Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, was detained after a 2021 military coup that ousted her elected civilian government and sparked a civil war. She is serving a
REVENGE: Trump said he had the support of the Syrian government for the strikes, which took place in response to an Islamic State attack on US soldiers last week The US launched large-scale airstrikes on more than 70 targets across Syria, the Pentagon said on Friday, fulfilling US President Donald Trump’s vow to strike back after the killing of two US soldiers. “This is not the beginning of a war — it is a declaration of vengeance,” US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth wrote on social media. “Today, we hunted and we killed our enemies. Lots of them. And we will continue.” The US Central Command said that fighter jets, attack helicopters and artillery targeted ISIS infrastructure and weapon sites. “All terrorists who are evil enough to attack Americans are hereby warned
Seven wild Asiatic elephants were killed and a calf was injured when a high-speed passenger train collided with a herd crossing the tracks in India’s northeastern state of Assam early yesterday, local authorities said. The train driver spotted the herd of about 100 elephants and used the emergency brakes, but the train still hit some of the animals, Indian Railways spokesman Kapinjal Kishore Sharma told reporters. Five train coaches and the engine derailed following the impact, but there were no human casualties, Sharma said. Veterinarians carried out autopsies on the dead elephants, which were to be buried later in the day. The accident site
‘NO AMNESTY’: Tens of thousands of people joined the rally against a bill that would slash the former president’s prison term; President Lula has said he would veto the bill Tens of thousands of Brazilians on Sunday demonstrated against a bill that advanced in Congress this week that would reduce the time former president Jair Bolsonaro spends behind bars following his sentence of more than 27 years for attempting a coup. Protests took place in the capital, Brasilia, and in other major cities across the nation, including Sao Paulo, Florianopolis, Salvador and Recife. On Copacabana’s boardwalk in Rio de Janeiro, crowds composed of left-wing voters chanted “No amnesty” and “Out with Hugo Motta,” a reference to the speaker of the lower house, which approved the bill on Wednesday last week. It is
RSS