Brazil's Lula undergoes a second procedure to stop brain bleed

SAO PAULO -- Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva had a second procedure Thursday morning to stop a brain bleed, his doctors said.

The 79-year-old Lula had surgery at the hospital Tuesday for a kind of slow bleeding that resulted from a fall at home in October.

Thursday's procedure was to plug an artery that continued to leak blood onto the surface of the brain, according to his doctors at the Sirio-Libanes hospital.

The president is awake and fine, they said, and is expected to leave the hospital and return to Brasilia at the beginning of next week. He will then be able to resume his activities slowly, they said.

Dr. Marcos Stavale, one of the doctors on the medical team, said that Thursday's procedure was low risk.

“He’s neurologically perfect. He’s fine, he’s talking,” Stavale said.

“He didn’t have any brain damage,” said Dr. Roberto Kalil, who has been monitoring the president’s health for years.

Lula canceled a trip to Russia for a BRICS summit after the accident, his office said at the time. It left him with a visible cut on the back of his head, slightly above his neck.

Doctors have said in recent days that the president’s health is good, but many Brazilians remain concerned about Lula, with some gathering near the hospital to show their support.

Local media reported that some politicians have expressed concerns about the future of his coalition in the 2026 presidential election.

Lula, who will turn 80 during the next election, has said he would seek reelection if needed, but would consider his health before deciding whether to run.

There is no clear successor to his leadership. Ricardo Kotscho, a press secretary in Lula’s first administration, told local news outlet UOL that in his third term, the president has concentrated power more than ever.