EON

Washington – US President George Bush was back in charge Saturday after undergoing a two-hour colonoscopy, during which he handed chief-executive powers to Vice President Dick Cheney.

Bush was placed under full anaesthesia for the examination at the Camp David presidential retreat. It was his second colonoscopy, following the same procedure in 2002 to check for colorectal cancer or other abnormalities.

Doctors removed five small and harmless polyps, all less than 10 millimetres in size, in the latest examination, a White House statement said.

“None appeared worrisome,” deputy press secretary Scott Stanzel said.

Bush already had several polyps – which can be a precursor to cancer – removed before he became president in 2001. None were found in the 2002 examination.