WASHINGTON�To the relief of his family, friends, supporters and admirers throughout the world, the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan was in stable condition at Howard University Hospital Nov. 2 after undergoing more than eight hours of colorectal surgery to correct complications resulting from radiation therapy for prostate cancer.

"It was a difficult operation because of the type of scarring that�s there," said Dr. Debra H. Ford, chief of surgery at the hospital, explaining the Minister underwent "a very complex and prolonged procedure."

Dr. Ford led a team of surgeons who rerouted the Muslim leader�s urinary tract in a complicated procedure to treat rare complications related to radiation therapy he received several years ago. In addition, Dr. Ford reported, Min. Farrakhan remains "cancer free."

That medical team included Dr. Robert DeWitty, surgical oncologist and associate professor of Surgery; Dr. Carey Ransone, the Minister�s personal urologist from Michigan City, Ind.; Dr. Aaron G. Jackson, chief of urology at Howard University Hospital; Dr. Abdul Alim Muhammad, minister of health and human services of the Nation of Islam; anesthesiologist Dr. Stephanie Locke; and Dr. Melville Wyche, the hospital�s chief of anesthesiology.

"The operation was a success. He has remained completely stable the entire night," Dr. Ford told reporters. "He�s talking and joking, the usual things he normally does. He�s very comfortable. He came through a difficult operation quite nicely."

The Nation of Islam leader was first admitted to the Howard University medical facility 19 months ago, in March 1999, sparking news reports that he was gravely ill and that prostate cancer which was diagnosed and treated in 1991 had recurred.

"Even though the cancer is gone, there were complications related to that treatment itself," said Dr. Ford. "Those complications involved the development of an ulceration in his rectum which led to life threatening hemorrhaging back in early 1999.

"He was treated here temporarily and has done well ever since," said Dr. Ford. The problem caused by the radiation implantation persisted, however. "We waited for a while to see if nature would take its course. But that didn�t occur, so that brought us to today."

Although doctors had known about the need for this surgery for some time, said Dr. Ford, a colorectal specialist and assistant professor at the Howard University School of Medicine, the operation was delayed at the Muslim leader�s insistence, until after the Million Family March, which Min. Farrakhan convened, and at which he spoke in Washington on Oct. 16, the fifth anniversary of the historic Million Man March.

Min. Farrakhan punctuated the call he issued in his three-hour address to the MFM for people to vote in the November elections, by casting his own vote in the Illinois local and in national contests from his bed in the hospital Nov. 2 through an arrangement made with the Board of Elections Commissioners of Cook County, Illinois, according to Leonard F. Muhammad, Nation of Islam chief of staff and Min. Farrakhan�s son-in-law.

Both the individual staff members, and Howard University Hospital "really deserve a lot of credit," said Dr. Alim Muhammad, a surgeon himself, who observed the procedure in the surgical intensive care unit. "What I witnessed in the operating room was the art of surgery taken to a high level to heal a person. Min. Farrakhan is of the opinion, stated 18 months ago, that if he had gone to heaven, he did not think he could have received any better care than he received here at Howard University."

Min. Farrakhan�s own inner-strength and faith were also important during the lengthy procedure, according to Dr. Ford. "I certainly felt divine providence in that room. He is in such good physical health that clearly is to his advantage. He is very health, very healthy."

"The total picture is important here. Nutrition, attitude, spiritual ideas, these all come into play when we�re talking about healing from such a major surgery," agreed Dr. Ransone.

Min. Farrakhan�s ongoing experiences with prostate cancer treatment, and his concern about the widespread public attention it has drawn have resulted in a renewed effort on his part to increase awareness among all men to seek early testing and treatment for prostate cancer. His plight and treatment have already begun to pay off in terms of public awareness, university officials reported.

"At Howard University Hospital, we do free prostate screening," about once per month, said Dr. DeWitty. "Our average number of patients will vary from 80 to maybe 120 patients. The day that Minister came in last year, we had a prostate screening, and in the first hour we saw 120 patients. When we queried the patients who came, there was no question about the fact that (his being) here," and bout with prostate cancer was a reason men came for screening.

"We just want to restate, that the Minister now is determined to encourage Black men in particular, but men in general, to be tested," Leonard Muhammad told The Final Call in April 1999, following Min. Farrakhan�s treatment and release from the hospital. "He is now going to do all that he can to try and make sure that our people know the value of early detection so that we can live long healthy lives without prostate cancer being a death sentence.

"This will signal the involvement of Min. Farrakhan in a problem that is an epidemic for Black men, and robbing families of bread winners by cutting short the lives of these men," Leonard Muhammad said at that time.

Min. Farrakhan will continue working in conjunction with Howard University Hospital to support the Cancer Center there, which is one of the premiere cancer treatment facilities in the world.