President underwent emergency surgery Monday night; he is in the ICU at Hospital Sírio-Libanês in São Paulo
12/10/2024
President Lula is stable, speaking normally, and has not suffered any brain impairment after an emergency surgery on Monday night, said Roberto Kalil Filho, the head of the medical team that operated on him. This was announced during a press conference on Tuesday morning (10). “Lula will return to normal life,” Mr. Kalil said. “He [Lula] did not suffer brain injury, there is no cerebral compromise. The risk of injury is zero.”
Mr. Kalil mentioned that the president is expected to remain under observation in the ICU at Hospital Sírio-Libanês in São Paulo for 48 hours and will stay hospitalized until next Monday (16). He is accompanied by First Lady Rosângela Silva at the hospital.
The doctor also noted that President Lula will not be allowed to receive visits from politicians for the time being. He is expected to return to Brasília soon and will have no restrictions on air travel.
President Lula was urgently transferred from Brasília to São Paulo after experiencing headaches. Late on Monday night (9), he underwent surgery to drain a hematoma, a condition resulting from a fall in October at the Palácio da Alvorada, where he hit his head.
He had been experiencing headaches on Monday afternoon and left a meeting with Lower House Speaker Artur Lira and Senate President Rodrigo Pacheco early.
Mr. Kalil recounted that President Lula was conscious when he was picked up at the airport. The president’s doctor, Ana Helena Germoglio, who also took part in the press conference, said that throughout the journey from Brasília to São Paulo, “the president was lucid, oriented, and communicating.”
According to Mr. Kalil, the president experienced headaches, malaise, and was advised to undergo routine exams, which had already been scheduled. A CT scan revealed new bleeding. The hematoma, according to the doctor, measured three centimeters. President Lula then underwent a procedure to drain it.
In addition to Roberto Kalil Filho, the press conference included doctors Ana Helena Germoglio, Rogério Tuma, Marcos Stavale, and Mauro Suzuki.
Mr. Tuma explained during the conference that the hematoma was located between the skull and the president’s brain. “The important thing is that Lula did not have a hematoma in the brain. It was external,” he stated. “The brain is free from any compression.”
Also during the conference, Mr. Stavale stated that “the surgery was not very long.” “The brain was decompressed and remains neurologically intact,” he affirmed, reassuring that President Lula will not suffer any lasting effects.
* By Cristiane Agostine e Fabio Murakawa
Source: Valor International