File photo of Lionel Messi (left) with Diego Maradona.
Argentine football superstar Lionel Messi wished nation’s icon Diego Maradona all the strength in the world after the legendary footballer underwent successful emergency surgery to remove a blood clot from the brain. The operation was expected to begin on Tuesday night after the 60-year-old was diagnosed with a subdural haematoma, a pool of blood between a membrane and his brain, Xinhua news agency reported.
Messi wrote on Instagram: “All the strength in the world. My family and I want to see you healthy again as soon as possible. A big hug from the heart.”
The former World Cup winner was admitted to a hospital in La Plata on Monday after suffering from anaemia and dehydration. He was later taken to a medical facility in Argentina capital Buenos Aries where he underwent brain surgery. Maradona’s neurosurgeon and personal physician, Leopoldo Luque, has since confirmed that surgery was necessary after a subdural hematoma was revealed by a CT scan.
As per latest report, the former Argentina coach has responded well to the operations and will be under close doctors observation for the coming weeks and months.
“I was able to evacuate the haematoma successfully and Diego tolerated the surgery very well,” Luque said. “Diego is under control, he has a small drain (to remove fluid) that we are planning to take out tomorrow."
“His stay at the hospital will depend on his recovery but the start of it has been great. The way he reacted after the surgery is promising.”
Maradona's personal lawyer told Goal.com: “I've just talked with the clinic authorities. Diego is okay and continues his recovery. Detecting the haematoma on time was decisive and it happened because of the medical team's professionalism and the studies they decided to conduct."
