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LequteMan
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Doctors removed a blood clot pressuring the right side of Argentine President Cristina Fernandez's brain on Tuesday, relieving pressure that had been giving her headaches and numbness. Their report said she was doing well, that there were no complications and that she would remain hospitalized for now.
Experts described the procedure — drilling through the skull and suctioning out the blood — as low risk and almost always having positive results, but recovery can take three months or more.
According to USA TODAY, Fernandez was diagnosed with "chronic subdural hematoma," or fluid trapped between the skull and brain. This can happen when the tiny veins that connect the brain's surface with its outermost covering, or dura, tear and leak blood. As people age, it can happen with a head injury so mild that they don't remember it.
Buenos Aires Gov. Daniel Scioli, who has announced his bid to succeed Fernandez in 2015, was among many Argentine politicians wishing her a rapid recovery. "If God desires it, she's going to be back with us very soon, fully functioning." He said.
Many cheered after she emerged from surgery at the Fundacion Favaloro. Some had spent all night holding vigil, carrying statues of the Virgen of Lujan, Argentina's patron saint, and messages such as "Fuerza Cristina," urging her to show her strength.
Her executive powers were formally transferred to Vice President Amado Boudou as she was prepared for surgery, although no document describing the extent of his powers was released, generating a debate over how long he can remain in charge during her recovery without an act of Congress.Boudou, for his part, told top officials in a televised address that they would run Argentina as a team "while she gets the rest she deserves."
Argentina's constitution provides for temporary transfers of power in case of health problems, said Daniel Sabsay, a constitutional lawyer. While a full medical leave requires congressional approval, short of that "she alone decides," he said.