Brazil's Lula discharged from hospital following emergency surgery

Brazilian President Lula da Silva was discharged Sunday from a Sao Paulo hospital following emergency surgery last week to treat an intracranial hemorrhage.

Lula had successful surgery Tuesday in which doctors drilled through his skull to relieve pressure that built up after a blow to the head in October, when he fell in a bathroom in his presidential residence.

On Thursday he underwent a follow-up operation to minimize the risk of further bleeding in the affected area of the protective intracranial membranes.

Lula will remain in Sao Paulo until Thursday, when he will undergo follow-up tests. Once cleared, he will be able to return to Brasilia and his normal routine.

The latest medical emergency adds to a list of health problems Lula has suffered over the years, including treatment in 2011 for throat cancer, and a hip replacement operation last year.