Rice 'resting comfortably' after surgery

Expected to return to work on Monday

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- National security adviser Condoleezza Rice, President Bush's nominee to be the next secretary of state, is doing well after successful surgery, Jim Wilkinson, deputy national security advisor, told CNN Friday.

National security adviser Condoleezza Rice

Rice is "out of surgery and resting comfortably after undergoing a successful uterine fibroid embolization at Georgetown University Hospital this morning," he said. "The minimally invasive procedure took an hour and a half and was performed by interventional radiologist James Spies."

"The procedure was complete at 10:15 a.m.," he said.

Rice will remain overnight in the hospital, returning home on Saturday. She is expected to return to work on Monday.

In a written release, Wilkinson said, "Fibroids are non-cancerous growths of the uterus that can cause abnormal uterine bleeding, pain and other symptoms. ... Fibroid embolization is a minimally invasive alternative to hysterectomy, which allows for a rapid recovery and control of symptoms."

Uterine fibroids are among the most common tumours in women, CNN's Sanjay Gupta said. They are not cancerous and typically are not dangerous.

About three-quarters of women have the tumours and don't know it, he said adding that larger fibroids can cause symptoms including pelvic pressure or pain, heavy menstrual bleeding, prolonged menstruation, incontinence, leg and back pain and in some cases infertility.

Gupta said embolization is the most common treatment for fibroids. It involves injecting a small particle into the artery that feeds the tumour to block its blood supply, which eventually kills the tumour.

Rice, 50, will not travel to Chile with President Bush for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit this weekend, NSC spokesman Jim Wilkinson said.

Instead, Rice's top deputy, Stephen Hadley, will make the trip.

Bush has named Hadley to fill her post when she moves to the State Department.

CNN White House Correspondent Suzanne Malveaux contributed to this report.