Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak had successful back surgery in Germany on Saturday and has been moved into the recovery room, state television reported.
Uncertainty over Mubarak's health has caused concern in Egypt, where the 76-year-old had not appointed a vice-president, the usual route to power. He has delegated his duties to Prime Minister Atef Obeid during his absence.
"The president was moved into the operation room then the operation was completed and the surgery ended successfully thank God," Health Minister Mohamed Awad Afifi Tag el-Din told Channel One on Saturday.
He added the president was currently in the recovery room.
The German specialist treating the president told the television channel that the physiotherapy Mubarak had been undergoing for a slipped disc had not relieved the pain as quickly as he had expected, so he had advised Mubarak to have an operation.
"This morning we told the president about this and that he should have an operation, and he agreed immediately," said Heinz-Michael Mayer in the television report that was translated into Arabic from English.
During the operation, Mayer said doctors in the Munich Orthopaedic Centre had located the problem and had removed the cartilage that had been putting pressure on the spine.