Maradona recovering well after surgery, personal physician says

Buenos Aires, Nov 4 (efe-epa).- Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona is recovering well after surgery for bleeding inside his skull and will not have any unwanted post-operative side effects or cognitive impairment, his personal physician said Wednesday.

The 60-year-old Maradona, who led Argentina to the 1986 World Cup title and was joint winner (along with Brazilian legend Pele) of the FIFA Player of the 20th Century award, underwent surgery on Tuesday at a clinic in La Plata, a city southeast of Buenos Aires, for a subdural hematoma.

“Diego is recovering without any sort of complications. He doesn’t have any type of neurological deficit,” Dr. Leopoldo Luque, a neurologist, told reporters outside the clinic. “His post-operation parameters have improved. His anemia improved; they stabilized that aspect, and we took out the drain” that had been used to remove fluid.

“Diego is fine. We’re trying to make sure he makes a steady recovery … He’ll be in intensive care today, and we’ll see at what point we do a tomography for control purposes. His recovery is very favorable,” the physician added.

Asked about Maradona’s emotional state, Luque said that is difficult to evaluate while he is in the post-operative stage.

“When we removed the drain today he laughed and grabbed my hand. That’s a good sign. We assessed his neurological parameters, which are very favorable. We don’t see any complications or after-effects,” said Luque, who performed the surgery on Tuesday.

The neurologist, who did not indicate how long Maradona will stay at the clinic, said he will provide the media with a fresh update on his recovery in the coming hours.

Argentine soccer great Lionel Messi, meanwhile, took to Instagram to express well-wishes to his countryman.

“Diego, I wish you all the strength in the world. My family and I hope to see you doing well as soon as possible. Warmest regards!” said the FC Barcelona forward, who also posted a photo of the two of them from more than a decade ago, when Maradona was head coach of the Argentine national team and Messi was his star player.

Maradona, who turned 60 on Friday, was hospitalized on Monday for anemia, dehydration and depression, his attorney, Matias Morla, said. EFE-EPA

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