Reagan Surgery a Success; He’s Joking With Doctors : No Signs of Cancer Discovered

President Reagan emerged from prostate surgery today in “excellent condition,” telling “urological jokes” to his doctors and showing no evidence of urinary tract cancer, White House aides reported.

White House spokesman Larry Speakes told reporters after the one-hour prostate procedure performed by private doctors at Bethesda Naval Hospital that “preliminary examination” of tissue removed from the enlarged gland “indicates benign (non-cancerous) tissue.

“The President is in excellent condition,” he said.

In an earlier report today, Speakes said four small polyps removed from Reagan’s large intestine during a follow-up colon examination Sunday were found to be non-cancerous.

No General Sedation

The 75-year-old President was given a low spinal anesthetic with no general sedation during today’s prostate operation, which began at 8:15 a.m., Speakes said.

“He’s taking no medication following surgery and has expressed no need,” Speakes said. A catheter was inserted for drainage, the spokesman added.

In a brief two-paragraph statement, White House physician John Hutton said: “It was a very routine transurethral resection. The procedure went very smoothly. There was nothing out of the ordinary. The preliminary view of all specimens shows no suspicion of cancer.”

A malignant tumor and a section of Reagan’s large intestine were removed during major surgery July 13, 1985. In his colon checkups over the last 18 months, no cancer recurrence has been found, but several tiny growths have been removed.

CAT Scan Planned

Tissue removed during today’s prostate surgery, performed by Dr. James Utz and Dr. John Beahrs, will be examined more thoroughly by pathologists and a report issued Tuesday. Also on Tuesday, Reagan will be given a CAT scan to check for cancer in the abdomen or pelvis.

Speakes said two pathologists who analyzed the four polyps snipped from Reagan’s intestine during a colonoscopy on Sunday said they “proved to be benign, as expected.”

If all goes well, Reagan will be out of the hospital in three or four days and will spend the weekend at the White House, Speakes said.

There was no transfer of presidential powers to Vice President George Bush, who remained in his office at the White House during today’s surgery. Presidential powers were transferred to Bush for eight hours during and after the 1985 surgery.

The White House has made a point of stressing the medical procedures have not interfered with Reagan’s presidential activities, and Speakes said Reagan began reading an intelligence report shortly after he returned to the presidential suite this morning.

Discomfort in Recent Months

Reagan had had similar prostate surgery 20 years ago and a recurrence of the condition, common in older men, had caused him discomfort in recent months.

Speakes said doctors who conducted the surgery said Reagan “was joking when he came out and when he went in” but gave no details.

Elaine Crispen, Nancy Reagan’s press secretary, said the First Lady told her they were “urological jokes.”