Brazilian President Luiz Inácio “Lula” da Silva had emergency head surgery in the early hours of Tuesday and is recovering well after the successful intervention, said a medical report posted on his official social media accounts.

Da Silva went to a hospital in Brasilia on Monday after suffering severe headaches. An MRI scan showed internal bleeding in his head. He was then transferred to another unit of the same hospital in São Paulo, where doctors operated on his skull to drain a hematoma.

The surgery went smoothly. Da Silva “is currently doing well and is being monitored in an intensive care bed,” said the social media statement. 

The hematoma was the result of an accident on October 19 at the Palácio da Alvorada presidential residence, when Lula fell in the bathroom and hit his head. At the time, he had five stitches and underwent head scans.

Due to the accident, Da Silva canceled his trip to Russia to attend a BRICS bloc summit in late October, and was also absent at the COP29 United Nations climate summit in Azerbaijan in November. However, he hosted the G20 world leaders summit later that month without issue.

Lula complained of headaches and dizziness during conversations with ministers during Monday afternoon, according to Brazilian media outlets. The president left the Planalto palace at 6 p.m. after meeting Lower and Upper House presidents Arthur Lira and Rodrigo Pacheco and went to the Syrian-Libanese Hospital in Brasilia immediately afterwards.

Cardiologist Roberto Kalil — one of the doctors treating Da Silva — told the press that the president “is stable, speaking normally, eating” and will remain in hospital to be monitored before returning to his functions in Brasilia in a week.

“Lula has no brain damage and is not in danger,” Kalil added, saying it’s normal for there to be internal bleeding some time after suffering head trauma.

In a press conference, the medical team said he will remain in the intensive care unit for 48 hours, then continue to be monitored “as a precautionary measure.” He will then be able to return to his normal activities.