By Murray Evans
The Associated Press

LEXINGTON - Gov.-elect Ernie Fletcher returned home Monday afternoon from the University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Center, hours after undergoing surgery to repair a shoulder injury.

The 51-year-old Fletcher underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair the rotator cuff in his right shoulder at 8 a.m. Fletcher was under general anesthesia during the two-hour surgery, performed by Darren Johnson and Scott Scutchfield of the medical center's division of orthopedics and sports medicine.

"His excellent physical health contributed very highly to the procedure going so well, as well as its outcome," Johnson said after the surgery.

Fletcher injured his shoulder four to six weeks ago when he fell on an escalator while at the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport, said Fletcher's spokesman, Wes Irvin.

The fall aggravated an injury Fletcher suffered several years ago while playing tennis, Scutchfield said. Johnson said two of the four muscles of Fletcher's right rotator cuff were torn by the fall. The surgeons reattached the rotator cuff to the bone.

"There were no unexpected findings," Johnson said. "The findings were consistent with his history of injuring his shoulder approximately five or six weeks ago."

Scutchfield said he offered in recent weeks to prescribe Fletcher pain medication, but Fletcher did not want a prescription.

Johnson said he and Scutchfield have advised Fletcher to rest at his Lexington home this week.

Fletcher will have to wear a sling for the next four to six weeks and will undergo physical therapy after that. His recovery should be complete in three to six months, Johnson said.

"Personally, I don't think this surgery is going to slow him down one iota," Johnson said.

Scutchfield said Fletcher, who had a knee repaired in 1987 and an appendectomy in 2000, underwent a routine physical exam two to three weeks ago and that the results showed Fletcher's health to be normal.

"He has no other medical problems as far as we're aware of that would cause any problems at all for him," Scutchfield said.

Fletcher, a Republican, won the gubernatorial election last Tuesday over Attorney General Ben Chandler.

A transition team has been working since Thursday under the direction of Mike Duncan, a banker from Inez who is a member of the Republican National Committee.

The surgery "does not impact the transition whatsoever," Irvin said. "Gov.-elect Fletcher spent a great deal of the weekend and yesterday meeting with his transition team. We have an outstanding transition team in place. They're working hard, in many cases working around the clock, and we continue to anticipate a very smooth transition."

Fletcher will be sworn in as governor on Dec. 9.

"I'm very thankful, and I think we're very blessed that we had great surgeons who took very good care of him today," said Fletcher's wife, Glenna.