Washington — Dr. Anthony Fauci has returned from the hospital after surgery to remove a polyp on his vocal cord, he confirmed to CBS News. Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious diseases expert, said he plans to be back to work on Monday, and will be able to do brief interviews after a week of recovery.
The operation was conducted at George Washington University Hospital under general anesthesia. Fauci is the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a member of the White House coronavirus task force.
At 79 years old, Fauci is one of the public faces of the administration’s coronavirus response, and has frequently appeared before Congress and in press briefings in recent months. He said Thursday that he has been delivering multiple taped lectures per day, which to inflammation that led to a polyp. CNN first reported the surgery.
Fauci has previously addressed issues with his vocal cords. Fauci told NBC News in early April he was “physically fine,” explaining that “all I do all day long is brief people.”
“I just need to keep my mouth shut for a little while,” Fauci said.
In a speech before the Economic Club of Washington in late April, he said that “when you get your voice damaged a little — I probably have a polyp there — the only way to get better is to keep your mouth shut.”
