Brazilian President Lula recovering from 'successful' second surgery, doctor says

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva underwent a second procedure on Thursday morning following his emergency brain surgery earlier this week, his doctor said, adding the operation was successful.

"The president is awake and speaking," Roberto Kalil Filho told reporters after the surgery, which lasted about an hour. 

Doctors at Sao Paulo's Sirio-Libanes Hospital had already operated on Lula for about two hours on Tuesday to drain bleeding between his brain and meningeal membrane, which they said was linked to a late October fall in a bathroom at the presidential residence.

The second procedure, a middle meningeal artery embolization, was aimed at minimizing the risk of future bleeding.

"The procedure was successful. We managed to embolize that artery," Kalil said, adding that doctors would provide more details at a press conference scheduled for 10 a.m. (1300 GMT).

The president's medical emergency this week happened when he complained of a headache while in Brasilia on Monday. 

In a post-surgery news conference on Tuesday, his medical team said he had suffered no brain damage. They said he was expected to be released from hospital next week. 

(With input from agencies)