Three days after he tripped and fell on an Idaho ski slope, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger underwent surgery Tuesday morning for a broken leg -- a 90-minute procedure that his doctors termed successful.
While the governor was under anesthesia, he relinquished the powers of office to Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante. Schwarzenegger resumed his duties about 10:45 a.m. when his doctors pronounced him fit.
Schwarzenegger was expected to make a full recovery. He will remain hospitalized for three days; afterward, he will walk on crutches without a cast.
Dr. Kevin Ehrhart, Schwarzenegger's orthopedic surgeon, said recovery will take about eight weeks. The surgery proceeded "without complication," Ehrhart said in a statement, and "the post-operation X-rays looked great."
Schwarzenegger fractured his femur Saturday while skiing on Bald Mountain in Sun Valley, Idaho -- one of many out-of-state trips the governor has made without public notice. The episode focused renewed attention on Schwarzenegger's continuing quest to keep his private life out of the public eye -- standard procedure for a movie star but unusual for a sitting governor.
A friend who spoke to Schwarzenegger after the accident said the governor was "aggravated" about what happened, describing the accident as a "slow fall" on an icy surface.
Schwarzenegger's press office would not release any details about the accident. But Adi Erber, a ski instructor who was with him at the time, said Schwarzenegger was standing still before the accident, preparing for the final 200 yards of the Lower Warm Springs run.
The governor's ski pole became caught in one of his skis, causing him to trip and fall, Erber said, describing it as a "freak accident."
He said the governor was in pain and that a rescue team took him down the hill on a toboggan.
The governor is being treated at St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica, according to people familiar with his medical care. Schwarzenegger's office would not disclose the hospital, citing security reasons.
In a prepared statement, First Lady Maria Shriver said: "When we checked Arnold into the hospital on Christmas night, he was looking forward to his surgery. He had been in good spirits. He asked when he could get back to work and he's looking forward to his inauguration next week. Our children and I are grateful for everyone's support and prayers."
