It's unclear how long he'll be out in the 50-50 Senate, but next week the Chamber of Commerce will be adjourned until the week of July 11.
Lee Hee, 82, was born blind on one side and experienced a "lifelong struggle with reduced perception of depth," his office said in a statement.
"He took some notable dinger over the years, but this finally caught up with him," his office said.
Lee Hee is expected to recover completely from surgery and he will soon begin his physiotherapy, his office said.
His office told CNN that it was premature to know how long his doctor would propose to be away from the Senate. His absence will make it difficult for Democrats to pass something using a simple majority that at least one Republican senator does not vote for.
