The husband of U.S. Rep. Barbara Cubin underwent more surgery Wednesday, this time to remove a tumor growing in his throat, the congresswoman's office said.

Doctors at the Wyoming Medical Center in Casper removed the tumor from the vocal cord of Dr. Frederick "Fritz" Cubin, enabling him to speak at an audible level, a press release said.

Barbara Cubin flew back to Wyoming for her husband's surgery and will remain in the state through the week, according to the release. She plans to return to Washington early next week.

"I thank everyone who has offered such kind words of support and prayers for my family and I," Cubin said in the release. "The letters and calls I have received from so many friends and supporters have truly helped us get through this difficult time."

Fritz Cubin has been in and out of the hospital for the last seven months after he was diagnosed with thrombocytopenia, a condition in which there are not enough blood platelets circulating in the body. He has also been battling a staph infection for more than a month, and he underwent surgery on his spleen in October.

Barbara Cubin has missed eight votes in Congress this week anda total of 477 for this session of Congress, or 46.9 percent of all votes, according to the Washington Post's Web site. That's more than any other living member of Congress.

The congresswoman has been recovering from a broken foot. When she has been in Washington, she has used crutches and a motorized scooter to move around in the Capitol.