Minister of Defense admitted to hospital after complications resulting from an elective procedure

Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III has been hospitalized since Monday after complications from a recent elective medical procedure, the Pentagon said Friday.

Maj. Gen. Patrick S. Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, declined to elaborate on the cause of Mr. Austin’s medical problems, citing patient privacy. But in a statement on Friday, General Ryder said the defense secretary, who is 70, is “recovering well and expects to resume full duties today.”

During Mr. Austin’s time in the hospital, Kathleen Hicks, the deputy secretary of defense, “was prepared to act for the secretary and exercise his authority as necessary,” Gen. Ryder said in the statement.

Mr. Austin is at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, Gen. Ryder said.