Margaret Thatcher, 87, "absolutely fine" after surgery

LONDON (CNN) -- Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher "has undergone surgery to remove a growth in her bladder" and is currently recovering in the hospital, her spokeswoman, Gillian Penrose, said Friday.

Thatcher, 87, is doing "absolutely fine" after the operation, her spokeswoman said. She was admitted to the hospital Thursday and is expected to be kept overnight.

Britain's only female prime minister, Thatcher served from 1979 to 1990 as leader of the Conservative Party. She was called the "Iron Lady" for her personal and political toughness.

She enjoyed a close friendship and working relationship with the late U.S. President Ronald Reagan, with whom she shared similar conservative views.