Diego Maradona had successful surgery for a brain bleed found by doctors after he was admitted to hospital with dehydration
- Footballing legend Diego Maradona underwent successful brain surgery on Tuesday night after doctors found a subdural hematoma.
- Maradona, widely considered one of the greatest players of all time, was admitted to hospital Monday with symptoms including anemia and dehydration.
- While being treated, doctors discovered the hematoma — effectively a small pool of blood that gathers in the material surrounding the brain.
- It was removed by Maradona's doctor in a "routine" operation, and he is now recovering in hospital.
Legendary soccer star Diego Maradona has undergone brain surgery after doctors found a blood clot in his brain, according to media reports from his native Argentina.
Maradona, widely considered one of the greatest players of all time, was admitted to hospital Monday with symptoms including anemia and dehydration, according to the BBC.
While being treated, doctors discovered a subdural hematoma — effectively a small pool of blood that gathers in the material surrounding the human brain. They are usually caused by traumatic head injuries such as a fall or significant bang to the head.
After the subdural hematoma was discovered, doctors decided to carry out what they described as a "routine" procedure, Sky Sports News reported.
The operation was a success, his doctor Leopoldo Luque said Wednesday morning, according to numerous reports.
"I was able to evacuate the hematoma successfully and Diego tolerated the surgery very well," Luque said, according to Sky.
"The steps now are observation, but it is controlled. It will depend on how he does. It is not highly complex, but it is still brain surgery."
Fans gathered outside the hospital where Maradona was treated overnight, and celebrated when they heard the news that his surgery was successful.
Maradona, who is currently manager of Argentine side Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata, has a history of health problems, including both heart and respiratory issues, and has also struggled with alcohol and drug abuse in the past.
In October he hit back at online mockery when he was pictured wearing a coronavirus face shield on the touchline of a Gimnasia game, which some domestic journalists said made him look like "Buzz Lightyear."
"Today I left my house with this mask, which my doctor recommended," he wrote on Instagram at the time.
"It is the same one being used by some doctors. I did it out of duty and respect for those who have died from COVID-19. And I was met with some mockery from adults, from boys and from some journalists."