Sen. Mark Kirk Has Gallbladder Removed
CHICAGO (CBS) -- U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk had surgery on Monday to have his gallbladder removed.
Kirk had been suffering stomach pain from gallstones, and doctors decided to remove his gallbladder on Monday morning.
Kirk went to Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital on Saturday with stomach pain, his office said in a release issued Monday afternoon.
Kirk "is resting comfortably. His doctor expects a quick recovery," the release said.
Gallbladder removal is a fairly common procedure and is typically done using a laparoscope that involves small incisions in the patient's belly. Details of Kirk's surgery were not released.
The gallbladder stores bile that is released into the small intestine during digestion. In most people, removing the gallbladder has little effect on their daily lives.
Kirk suffered a stroke in January 2012.
He returned to the Senate a year later--walking up the U.S. Capitol steps, after undergoing surgery and rehabilitation.
