New York ? Former President Clinton, who underwent surgery last week to remove scar tissue and fluid around his left lung, left the hospital on Monday and returned home.

“I’m glad to be home and look forward to getting back to work within the next month or so,” Clinton said in a statement released by his office.

The 42nd president left New York Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center shortly after 5 p.m. accompanied by his wife, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.

“Hillary, Chelsea and I are very grateful to the medical team that cared for me at the hospital, and we deeply appreciate all the prayers and good wishes we’ve received in recent days,” Clinton said.

A spokesman, Jim Kennedy, said that Clinton’s recovery is proceeding normally and that he will continue his recuperation at his home in Chappaqua, about 40 miles north of Manhattan. He has begun walking each day, Kennedy said.

The former president’s doctors have said he is expected to remain at home for the next four to six weeks.

Clinton underwent surgery Thursday to clean up complications from heart bypass operation six months ago. Doctors described last week’s operation as a low-risk procedure to relieve a problem that crops up in only a fraction of 1 percent of bypass cases.

Doctors removed a 5- to 8-millimeter, rubbery, plaque-like piece of tissue that had formed in the lower lobe of his left lung.

Kennedy said almost 10,000 people have sent “get well” messages to Clinton through his Web site, clintonfoundation.org.

Doctors had said Clinton would be hospitalized for three to 10 days; he was released after four.

The former president first noticed a problem when he suffered shortness of breath during his daily 4-mile walk near his home.

Doctors said that the combination of fluid and scar tissue had decreased Clinton’s left lung capacity by 25 percent.