Attorney General Merrick Garland will be temporarily out of office due to impending back surgery scheduled for Saturday.

Justice Department spokesperson Xochitl Hinojosa announced Monday that Garland will undergo a 90-minute “minimally invasive” lower back surgery under general anesthesia for stenosis. washington post. Garland will reportedly hand over his duties to Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco before proceeding.

Garland returned home from “interlaminar decompression” surgery on Saturday and is expected to return to work next week, the report said.

Lumbar spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal in the lower back) is primarily caused by age-related osteoarthritis, which increases pressure on the spinal cord and nerves, causing difficulty walking long distances, pain, numbness, and most importantly, In severe cases, it can cause incontinence. according to Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. (Related: Pentagon reveals why Lloyd Austin was sent to hospital)

The Washington Post reports that government officials are required to disclose that they will seek medical treatment if their health concerns interfere with their official duties.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was secretly hospitalized for four days at Walter Reed Army Medical Center for elective surgery to treat a urinary tract infection associated with prostate cancer surgery on Dec. 22. Neither the White House nor Austin Deputy Premier Kathleen Hicks reportedly learned of Austin's hospitalization until January 5, four days after she was taken to the hospital on New Year's Day. The White House reportedly didn't even know about the prostate cancer surgery until January 8th.

Austin has come under fire for the delay in disclosing information, and the situation has raised new concerns about President Joe Biden's health and competency. He later apologized, admitting that he “could have done a better job” and promising to “do better.”

The White House announced that Mr. Austin would keep his job, but that it would update the delegation of powers after the fact, while the Pentagon said it would scrutinize its response to the situation.