Armstrong leaves hospital post-surgery

AUSTIN (AP/KXAN) - After going into surgery around 9 a.m. Wednesday at Austin Sports Medicine, Lance Armstrong's procedure was complete around 2 p.m., consisting of a metal plate insertion to stabilize his collarbone after tests showed multiple pieces of broken bone.

Though Armstrong was expected to stay at the hospital for a while, he walked out Wednesday afternoon after sleeping immediately following his surgery. The silent Armstrong was not in a wheelchair but was walking with some assistance.

Armstrong's surgeon, Dr. Doug Elenz, said the collarbone was broken into four different pieces, and they used a plate with 12 screws to set the bone. Elenz said the injury had a greater impact than they first thought because it took them 45 minutes to clean up a lot of the bruising and scrapes from the crash. 

After the four-hour surgery, doctors said the healing process will take about eight- to nine weeks. The doctor said the goal of the surgery is to have Armstrong ready for the Tour de France, and they will clear him at some point to begin training on a stationary bicycle.

In his Twitter profile Wednesday morning, Armstrong said he was "ready to get this over with" and that his manager would keep people updated. Liz Kreutz is a photographer documenting Armstrong's comeback to cycling to raise cancer awareness, and she has provided pictures of Armstrong's road to recovery through Twitpic. The pictures show him talking to a doctor before surgery and even Twittering on his way home from Spain just after the accident.

Even though his broken collarbone was a bit more serious than first thought, Armstrong said racing in the Giro d'Italia in May is the works. The Austin great said Tuesday night during a conference call with reporters he thinks the Giro is still very doable.

Although the recovery typically takes four-to-six weeks, Armstrong said he hopes his will be faster, recognizing necessary rest for at least 72 hours before returning to a training bike.

Armstrong crashed Monday in the first stage of the Vuelta of Castilla and Leon race in northern Spain.