Soccer's 'Golden Boy' Exits Sudden Brain Surgery

Diego Maradona recovering well as of Tuesday night
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 4, 2020 9:50 AM CST
Soccer's 'Golden Boy' Exits Sudden Brain Surgery
An ambulance transports former soccer star Diego Maradona from the hospital he'd been admitted to a day before in La Plata, Argentina, on Tuesday.   (AP Photo/Maria Paula Avila)

Fans of Diego Maradona can breath a sigh of relief following news that the Argentinian soccer legend has successfully undergone surgery to remove a blood clot on his brain. The 60-year-old "Golden Boy" was hospitalized with dehydration, depression, and anemia in La Plata on Monday before an MRI revealed a subdural hematoma, reports ESPN. He underwent surgery to remove the clot in Olivos on Tuesday. "I was able to evacuate the hematoma successfully and Diego tolerated the surgery very well," his neurosurgeon and personal physician Leopoldo Luque announced Tuesday night. He said Maradona "has a small drain [to remove fluid] that we are planning to take out tomorrow. His stay at the hospital will depend on his evolution. But the start of his recovery was great."

The US National Library of Medicine describes a blood clot on the surface of the brain as "among the deadliest of all head injuries," per CNN. It had been a tense few hours for fans of the former soccer star, who led Argentina to the World Cup title in 1986 and Italian side Napoli to its first Serie A title in 1986-87. Dozens had gathered outside the clinic where the surgery was performed, per ESPN. Maradona now coaches first-division team Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata, but has been staying away from training as he's in the high-risk category for COVID-19. The legend, who turned 60 on Friday, has previously struggled with drug addiction and alcohol abuse, been hospitalized with severe heart and respiratory problems, and underdone two gastric bypass surgeries, ESPN reports. (More Diego Maradona stories.)

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