Brazil’s President Lula to Undergo Additional Medical Procedure Days After Emergency Brain Bleed Surgery

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is scheduled for an additional medical procedure on Thursday, December 12, as part of his ongoing treatment following emergency surgery earlier this week to address a brain bleed.

Doctors at São Paulo’s Sírio-Libanês Hospital will conduct an endovascular procedure Thursday morning as part of his “therapy program,” according to a statement from the hospital released Wednesday afternoon.

Roberto Kalil, the president’s physician, described the procedure as a “complement” to the surgery performed on Monday.

“This involves a catheterization that targets the meninges artery. Why? Because when a hematoma is drained, there is a slight chance that the small arteries in the meninges could cause a minor bleed in the future,” Kalil said.

In previous comments soon after the surgery, Kalil had said it was “important to note that (Lula) did not sustain any brain injury. The hematoma, the bleeding, was not inside the brain; it was outside the brain and has been completely drained.”

Lul, who is still in the hospital’s intensive care unit – spent the “day well, without complications, underwent physiotherapy, walked and received visits from family,” the note released by the hospital says, adding that “the president remains under the accompaniment of the medical team.”

The 79-year-old Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva underwent emergency surgery on Monday to address a brain bleed stemming from a fall he suffered in October.

The incident has heightened concerns about Lula’s health as he reaches the midpoint of his third non-consecutive term.

Lula’s travel schedule has been limited in recent months, with doctors closely monitoring his recovery from trauma sustained when he fell at his home in late October, an injury that required stitches to the back of his head.

Before the emergency surgery, Lula experienced worsening headaches during a congressional event in Brasília on Monday evening. A subsequent MRI scan revealed an intracranial hemorrhage, prompting his transfer to São Paulo for immediate medical intervention, according to a government-released medical statement.