Hulk Hogan has had back surgery.

The wrestling legend - who is a part of Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling - underwent a four-hour operation on Wednesday (26.05.10) to remove bone spurs which had come loose from his spine and were causing him extreme pain.

The procedure went well and the 56-year-old grappler was able to leave hospital and return home to recover on the same day.

It is the second operation Hogan has had on his back in the last 12 months. In August 2009 he had laser surgery after collapsing in pain on an episode of his daughter Brooke Hogan's reality TV show 'Brooke Knows Best'.

Earlier this week, fellow TNA wrestler Ric Flair revealed Hogan was in constant pain because of his back problems.

Flair - who was in London to announce TNA's 'Maximum iMPACT!' tour of the UK in January 2011, which features live shows in Glasgow, Manchester and London - told BANG Showbiz: "His heart is in the ring but he has health issues and at this point in time they are overwhelming. His back has been really bad. He's got an artificial knee, an artificial hip, which don't bother him at all. But his back is causing everything to hurt."