Former first lady Barbara Bush is expected to remain in a Houston hospital for several more days after undergoing surgery to correct a perforated ulcer, a family spokesman said today.

Bush, 83, started a liquid diet this morning after all test results from surgery came back normal. She will remain at The Methodist Hospital so her doctors can monitor the progression of her diet, spokesman Jim Appleby said this afternoon.

Bush underwent laparoscopic surgery at the hospital on Nov. 25 to repair a perforated ulcer.

Surgeons cleansed Bush's abdominal area, then patched and closed a one-centimeter hole in her stomach that was caused by the ulcer.

She is the wife of former President George H.W. Bush and mother of current President George W. Bush.

The Bushes have a home in Houston in addition to their summer residence in Kennebunkport.

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