Mexico City ( CNN ) -- Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto underwent thyroid surgery Wednesday . The operation to remove a nodule was successful , said Aurelio Nuño Mayer , head of the president 's office . `` The president is already awake , and he is already in the room , '' Nuño told reporters . `` Everything went very smoothly , as planned.. '' Gen. Fernando Arcaute Velazquez , director of Mexico 's Central Military Hospital , said doctors found `` no evidence of malignancy '' during the procedure . Officials said Peña Nieto will spend half of his four-day recovery period at the hospital , and the rest in his official residence . Peña Nieto , 47 , assumed Mexico 's presidency in December . Fast Facts : Enrique Peña Nieto . Thyroid nodules are lumps that form within the gland , which is located at the base of the neck , according to the Mayo Clinic . `` The great majority of thyroid nodules are n't serious and do n't cause symptoms , '' the clinic says on its website . `` Thyroid cancer accounts for a small percentage of thyroid nodules . '' Last week , Peña Nieto said that doctors had detected the small cyst seven or eight years ago . `` The doctors tell me that it is not a serious matter or anything , '' the president said , according to Mexico 's state-run Notimex news agency . `` Simply I have been postponing it and according to medical recommendations it is a good moment to do it . '' CNN 's Marysabel Huston-Crespo and Catherine E. Shoichet contributed to this report .
Doctors have removed a nodule from the Mexican president 's neck . Officials say the surgery was successful . The hospital 's doctor says their was no sign of infection .