Reagan Learns Today When He’ll Go Home

President Reagan on Wednesday continued his speedy recovery from prostate surgery, and his physicians will decide this morning when he can be released from the Bethesda Naval Medical Center, the White House said.

A catheter draining Reagan’s bladder was removed Wednesday morning, two days after the operation to relieve a urinary obstruction caused by his enlarged prostate gland. Patients usually remain in the hospital for about four days after this type of surgery.

The President, who will turn 76 next month, “feels great” and “continues his excellent recovery,” according to a statement issued by Army Col. John Hutton, the White House physician.

Reagan’s “vital signs are normal, and he is experiencing no pain,” Hutton said. “Things could not be better, and all of his physicians are delighted with his condition.”

The President spent the day reading and attending to paper work, including preparations for his Jan. 27 State of the Union address, Hutton said.

Dressed in casual clothes, the President had lunch with First Lady Nancy Reagan. The menu included chicken vegetable soup and quiche Lorraine.

When she arrived at the hospital at midday Wednesday, photographers asked Mrs. Reagan for another smile before she entered the building. After obliging, she remarked: “That’s not hard to do today.”

Emerging from the hospital later, Mrs. Reagan described the President’s condition as “wonderful” and said she hoped he will be released today.

Meeting With Aides

Reagan met with White House Chief of Staff Donald T. Regan and Frank C. Carlucci, his new adviser for national security affairs, during the afternoon.

Reagan entered the hospital Sunday and the next day underwent surgery of about an hour to widen his urinary tract. The procedure, called a transurethral prostatectomy, is one of the most common surgeries for older men.

During his hospitalization, Reagan has also been examined for possible recurrence of the colon cancer that was removed in July, 1985. The examinations, including a colonoscopy and a CAT scan (three-dimensional X-ray) of the abdomen, have shown no evidence of malignancy, Hutton said.

After Reagan returns to the White House, his schedule will be limited for several weeks, White House spokesman Larry Speakes said. Hutton, a surgeon, will monitor the President’s condition.

Hutton will consult as needed with the team of doctors from the Mayo Clinic and the Bethesda center, who are attending the President at the hospital, Speakes said.