California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger returned to the state Christmas Day for surgery after breaking his leg in an Idaho skiing accident, his spokeswoman said.

Schwarzenegger, 59, will undergo non-emergency surgery Tuesday morning to repair his fractured right femur, which he broke Saturday while skiing with his family in Sun Valley, Idaho, spokeswoman Julie Soderlund said.

The procedure will use cables and screws to secure the governor's upper right thigh bone, said Dr. Kevin Ehrhart, the orthopedic surgeon performing the surgery at an undisclosed hospital in Los Angeles.

"I have spoken to the governor several times since the skiing accident occurred and he is very comfortable," Ehrhart said.

The governor, who was admitted to the hospital, will be placed under general anesthesia for no longer than two hours, though the surgery is not expected to last that long, Ehrhart said.

Schwarzenegger plans to use crutches after the operation, and his recovery is likely to take about eight weeks, the surgeon said. The governor not intend to delay his second inauguration, scheduled for Jan. 5, Soderlund said.

California Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante will serve as acting governor while Schwarzenegger is under anesthesia, said Andrea Lynn Hoch, the governor's legal affairs secretary.