Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was released from a Sao Paulo hospital on Sunday after receiving emergency surgery for a brain hemorrhage last week, according to DW.
“I am here in one piece… returning home calmly,” the 79-year-old president said during a surprise appearance at a press conference with his medical team at the Sirio-Libanes Hospital.
He unexpectedly walked into the press conference on his own and approached the microphones. “I am alive, unscathed and ready to work … I have a lot of work ahead of me,” Lula added.
“I’ll be honest, I was worried by how much fluid was building up in my head. The urgency to go to the hospital scared me,” he said.
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“I never think I’m going to die, but I’m scared, so I need to follow the rules,” Lula said. He added that while he feels good, he won’t go to the beach for the end-of-year holidays, as many Brazilians do.
Lula had a successful surgery on Tuesday where doctors drilled through his skull to relieve pressure. This was caused by a head injury from a fall in a bathroom at his presidential residence in October.
On Thursday, he underwent a follow-up operation to reduce the risk of additional bleeding in the affected area.
The president will remain in Sao Paulo at least until Thursday for follow-up tests. Once cleared, he will be able to return to Brasilia and resume his normal routine, doctors said.
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