Laura Bush resting after surgery

WASHINGTON, Sept. 8 (UPI) -- U.S. first lady Laura Bush Saturday underwent outpatient surgery in Washington to relieve a pinched nerve in her neck.

Mrs. Bush underwent a successful posterior cervical foraminotomy, her press secretary said in a statement. The procedure, which was described as minimally invasive, was performed at George Washington University Hospital by a team led by Dr. Anthony Caputy, chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery and Co-Director of the Neurological Institute.

President George Bush’s physician, Air Force Brig. Gen. Richard Tubb, consulted.

The first lady spoke with the president after the surgery, as he traveled from Sydney, Australia, to Hawaii. The president had been in Sydney to attend the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit.

He is to return to Washington Sunday after a brief stopover in Hawaii, where he had lunch with military commanders at the navy base at Pearl Harbor.

Mrs. Bush was resting comfortably at the White House, her office said.