Kirk leaves hospital after gallbladder surgery

U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk left the hospital today, a day after having surgery to remove his gallbladder.

Kirk had been at Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital since Saturday, when he went there because of abdominal pain. He had the surgery Monday.

Kirk posted to Twitter this morning that he'd left the hospital and thanked its staff.

“It's good to be home,” said Kirk, a Highland Park Republican.

Surgeon Dr. Kim Sobinsky described the surgery as relatively routine.

“The procedure is performed about 600,000-700,000 times a year in the United States, so it is a common procedure,” she said in a statement. “The gallbladder is not an essential organ, and patients can live a normal life without it. Sen. Kirk's lifestyle will not be changed by this procedure.”

Kirk was elected to the Senate in 2010 after nearly 10 years serving in Congress from the northern suburbs.

He had multiple operations nearly two years ago after suffering a stroke, and he returned to work at the U.S. Senate earlier this year.