Diego Maradona’s recovery following surgery to remove a blood clot on the brain has been “excellent,” his personal doctor said.
Speaking to reporters outside the Olivos clinic in Buenos Aires province, where Maradona is staying, Leopoldo Luque said on Thursday that the former footballer’s progress “continues to be really good” and that he was “very eager to leave” the hospital.
“The idea is to have him here for one more day, but he already feels well enough to be discharged and we spoke to the physicians who also see him in a good enough condition to be discharged,” he said.
“We’re very happy. He can walk, he talks with me, he seems a lot clearer. Obviously, it’s still very early, but the recovery is excellent.”
Luque added it was possible Maradona, who turned 60 last week, could leave the hospital on Thursday, but that they had been trying to convince him to remain for one more day.
Maradona, widely considered one of the greatest footballers of all time, was initially admitted to hospital on Monday as a preventive measure, according to his doctor, due to a low mood. The diagnosis at that time was dehydration and anemia.
However, subsequent tests revealed that the he had a subdural hematoma — more commonly known as a blood clot on the brain — and was immediately transferred from a hospital in La Plata to the Olivos clinic for surgery.
READ: ‘The Golden Boy’ Diego Maradona turns 60
A subdural hematoma is considered “among the deadliest of all head injuries,” according to the US National Library of Medicine.
It is a blood clot on the brain’s surface beneath its outer covering, called the dura. It is usually caused by severe head injuries, but can also be caused by minor injuries and can go unnoticed for days or weeks.
Luque was met outside the clinic by a sea of reporters’ microphones, a scene more akin to that of an interview with a star footballer.
After announcing on Wednesday that the operation had been a success, Luque was mobbed and patted on the back by several delighted Argentina fans, who proceeded to celebrate the news in a similar fashion to goal celebrations seen in La Bombonera, the historic home of Boca Juniors, one of Maradona’s former clubs.
On Wednesday Luque said the Argentine was “without any type of neurological deficit, without any type of complication associated to the surgery” and had had an “excellent post-operative period.”
Lionel Messi has been among those to send messages of support to his fellow countryman following the surgery
“Diego, all the strength in the world,” Messi wrote on Instagram. “My family and I want to see you well again as soon as possible. A big hug from the heart!”
Barcelona and Argentina captain Messi played under Maradona, currently the head coach of Argentine side Gimnasia y Esgrima de La Plata, when he was head coach of the national team between 2008 and 2010, ending his spell in charge following the World Cup in South Africa.
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