US Secretary of State Colin Powell has received “successful” prostate cancer surgery and is likely to make a full recovery and return to work early next year, according to officials in the American State Department.

Mr Powell’s surgery was not an emergency operation and had been planned months ago, officials insisted.

The 66-year old underwent two-hour prostate surgery at the Walter Reed Army Medical Centre in Washington DC.

He is expected to spend several days at the hospital before returning home to convalesce.

State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said: “I am happy to report that he is out of surgery, that everything went fine.

“There are no complications and a full recovery is expected.”

US President George W Bush was informed of the surgery about two weeks ago and US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage was handed the brief to act in Mr Powell’s absence, officials said.

Mr Boucher said the surgery would have “no bearing whatsoever” on Mr Powell’s place in the Bush administration.