Governor Napolitano is resting at home after being released from a Valley hospital Nov. 18. She will return to work in the next few days, according to a statement released from her office.

Ms. Napolitano, 46, underwent surgery at Phoenix Baptist Nov. 16 to have an ovarian cyst and her right ovary removed. She became ill during a trip to Flagstaff earlier in the day, said her spokeswoman Jeanine L’Ecuyer.

Routine tests will be performed, but “the cyst appears benign,” the Governor’s Office said in a statement. It said the governor, who battled breast cancer four years ago, was recovering well and expected to be back at work within a few days.

The ovaries are the egg- and estrogen-producing organs in a woman’s reproductive system. Ovarian cysts are fluid-filled sacs that can form on the ovaries when follicles produce but do not release eggs.

Ms. Napolitano, a Democrat, was elected governor in 2002 after serving four years as state attorney general. She previously served as U.S. attorney for Arizona during the Clinton administration.

The surgery was laproscopic, a procedure involving small incisions, which should mean a quicker recovery, Ms. L’Ecuyer said.

Dr. Harry Watters, whose Chandler practice specializes in ob-gyn surgery, said it is common for ovarian cysts to form on ovaries in women Ms. Napolitano’s age because their hormone levels fluctuate.

Ovarian cysts can irritate the abdominal lining resulting in pelvic pain or cramping, said Dr. Watters, who is not involved in Ms. Napolitano’s treatment.

Ms. Napolitano had surgery in 2000 to remove her right breast after being diagnosed with cancer. Her spokeswoman at the time said the surgeon was able to remove all of the cancer and she did not have to undergo chemotherapy or radiation treatment.

Ms. Napolitano participated in a summit on state funding for full-day kindergarten in Flagstaff on Nov. 16 but, because of her medical condition, missed a scheduled speech that evening to an Arizona Chamber of Commerce event in Scottsdale honoring former Governor Rose Mofford. —