Dallas police Chief U. Renee Hall is taking a scheduled leave of absence after undergoing major surgery, the department said late Wednesday.

The leave follows a wellness check she underwent in January, after her mother's death in October from "lengthy health challenges," the department said in a written release.

"The physicians expressed concerns that needed to be addressed and scheduled surgery for July," according to the statement. "Hall underwent a procedure this week and is home resting comfortably."

While Hall is on leave, Executive Assistant Chief David Pughes will be acting in her place, police said.

"She wants her officers and the community to know that she appreciates their concerns and well wishes as she recuperates," the statement said.

Hall's spokeswoman, Janella Newsome, declined to provide details Wednesday night about the surgery Hall underwent.

When the chief will return to work has not been scheduled yet and will depend on "how she recuperates," Newsome said.

In a 2017 interview with The Dallas Morning News, Hall discussed how she had juggled her work while caring for her mother, who needed dialysis and later a kidney transplant.