Photo: Juan Martin del Potro gives thumbs up after wrist surgery

No. 8 Juan Martin del Potro had surgery Monday on the bothersome left wrist that has plagued him for more than a year.

Del Potro's surgery took place at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota with Dr. Richard Berger, who performed a similar surgery on the Argentine's right wrist in 2010. No timetable for his recovery was released. Del Potro was off the tour for six months for his right-wrist surgery. If that schedule holds this time, he'd likely to miss the rest of the Grand Slam season.

In a statement, Dr. Berger said he was surprised at the extent of the damage to Del Potro's wrist.

"During the operation, it was discovered that the damage to his wrist ligaments was worse than expected based upon the high resolution imaging obtained before the surgery," the statement read. "Even so, the surgery went very well and as planned. The damaged ligaments were repaired and reinforced. The surgery did not require hospitalization and Juan Martin is recovering comfortably. It is expected that he will make a full recovery and on schedule as originally planned. "

Del Potro, who returned to the top five last fall after a long climb back near the top following his first wrist procedure, posted a post-surgery photo to reassure his fans that everything went well.

"Hi everyone, here I am, still sore from the surgery," Del Potro wrote on Facebook. "Luckily everything went well. Thank you very much for the nice messages you are sending me. Here's a picture with Dr. Berger and Franco [Davin, his coach]."

A drowsy Juan Martin del Potro flashes a thumbs up after his wrist surgery. (Facebook)

This post has been updated.