Sawt Falasteen - Brazil's Lula discharged from hospital following emergency surgery

"I am here in one piece... returning home," the 79-year-old leftist leader said as he made a surprise appearance at a news conference by his medical team at Hospital Sirio-Libanes.

Lula had successful surgery Tuesday in which doctors drilled through his skull to relieve pressure that built up after a blow to the head in October, when he fell in a bathroom in his presidential residence.

On Thursday he underwent a follow-up operation to minimize the risk of further bleeding in the affected area of the protective intracranial membranes.

The president can resume activities but will need to take it easy for 15 days, cardiologist Roberto Kalil said at the news conference.

Lula will remain in Sao Paulo until Thursday, when he will undergo follow-up tests. Once cleared, he will be able to return to Brasilia and his normal routine.

"The only restriction is physical exercise," said Kalil.

Another doctor, Ana Helena Germoglio, said Lula's recovery has "exceeded expectations."

Known for his frenetic work pace, Lula burst into the news conference Sunday without warning and approached the microphones, walking unassisted.

He addressed reporters while wearing a fedora-style hat, apparently to cover up signs of his procedures.

Lula's medical emergency started when he complained last Monday of a headache while in Brasilia.

An MRI scan found a hemorrhage between his brain and the dura mater membrane that protects it, prompting his swift transport to Hospital Sirio-Libanes -- the country's top medical facility -- for the surgery.

After suffering his fall on October 19, Lula told an official from his Workers' Party that the accident had been "serious."

In the weeks following, the president skipped planned overseas trips. But from mid-November he resumed his active schedule, hosting a G20 summit in Rio and attending a Mercosur summit in Uruguay.

The latest medical emergency adds to a list of health problems Lula has suffered over the years, including treatment in 2011 for throat cancer, and a hip replacement operation last year.

W.Mansour--SF-PST