Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has undergone a second procedure following his emergency brain surgery earlier this week, according to his doctor, who reported that the operation was successful.
“The president is awake and speaking,” Roberto Kalil Filho informed reporters.
The 79-year-old president’s physician mentioned that the procedure involved the insertion of a catheter into Mr. Lula’s femoral artery, and he characterized the operation as “relatively simple and low-risk.”
Hospital Sirio-Libanes further stated that Mr. Lula is otherwise in good condition.
Doctors performed emergency surgery on Mr. Lula to alleviate pressure on his brain caused by bleeding in the cranial membranes, which was linked to a fall he experienced in October, specifically in a bathroom at the presidential residence.
After expressing complaints of a headache in Brasilia on Monday, an MRI scan revealed a hemorrhage between his brain and the dura mater membrane that protects it.
He was swiftly taken to Hospital Sirio-Libanes—the nation’s leading medical facility—where doctors conducted a trepanation, drilling through his skull to relieve the pressure.
The hospital reported that Mr. Lula was alert and had “progressed well” since the operation, “without incident.”
During a post-surgery press conference, his medical team confirmed that he had experienced no brain damage.
They indicated that he would remain in intensive care for a couple of days for observation and is anticipated to be discharged from the hospital next week.
After his fall on October 19, Mr. Lula informed an official from his Workers’ Party that the incident had been “serious.”
In the weeks that followed, the president canceled scheduled overseas trips.
However, beginning in mid-November, he resumed his active agenda, hosting a G20 summit in Rio and participating in a Mercosur summit last week in Uruguay.
