Pop queen Madonna was treated for a hernia last week, but she fully recovered quickly from the operation to attend the Brit Awards in London, where she was not expected to perform. Her publicist also said that Madge was delighted to be attending the London music event with her husband Guy Ritchie, where she picked up International Female Solo Artist.

The 47-year-old singer is thought to have had what her spokeswoman described as "a minor operation" in the United States last week following her show stopping performance at the Grammys.

The New York Post reported that the London-based star went from the Grammys to Cedars Sinai Hospital in LA last week for hernia surgery and had absolutely no appetite whatsoever after the intervention.

Although the surgery went well, the Material Girl appeared "pale and had no appetite" afterwards. Then, on Friday night, the 47-year-old was at the LA Kabbalah Center where spies said Madge "didn't eat anything... and did not lead the prayer after dinner, as she usually does when she comes. She was unusually quiet." Throughout the visit, Madonna's hubby Guy Ritchie was absent.

As for the pop star's illness, Dudley Rogg, clinic director of the British Hernia Centre, said that having a hernia had no connection to age or physical activity.

He explained: "A hernia is a mechanical breakdown of the tummy muscles. The abdominal wall is nature's corset. It is tough stuff but full of natural weaknesses like the perforation in a postage stamp. When you get a hernia one of these windows opens a little too wide and the corset effect is lost. The intestines come through and force their way through the wall. Some are excruciatingly painful but most don't hurt at all. Unfortunately that's part of the problem, people don't tend to know it's happening. When you have a reoccurrence it's a much bigger operation and it increases the risk of a reoccurrence again. It's just the luck of the draw. It's nothing to do with physical fitness."

The clinic director also said that most hernia operations were under general anesthetic and that in a few cases strangulated hernias could be life threatening.