Argentina: President Kirchner Has Surgery

Argentinian President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner is in "good spirits" after having an operation to remove a blood clot from beneath her skull.

Presidential spokesman Alfredo Scoccimarro said: "It went very well. The president is in good spirits and is already in her room."

The 60-year-old is recovering and has thanked doctors and her supporters, he added.

Doctors said Ms Kirchner's condition was "evolving favourably".

Hundreds of well-wishers cheered as they received news of the successful operation.

Some had waited through the night outside the Fundacion Favaloro hospital, many carrying signs and clutching Christian statues.

The president was initially ordered to rest for a month on Saturday after a subdural haematoma was discovered.

But doctors decided to operate after she complained of tingling and a temporary loss of muscle strength in her left arm late on Sunday.

Well-wishers leave messages of support

The procedure - which involves drilling small holes through the skull to remove the trapped fluid and ease pressure on the brain - is considered to be low risk.

In a statement before the operation, Ms Kirchner's doctors attributed the injury to a still unexplained blow to her head on August 12.

AFP news agency reports Ms Kirchner was injured in a fall.

Mr Scoccimarro said that tests had "showed nothing" at the time of the injury, which was not disclosed at the time.

But on Saturday, Ms Kirchner went to hospital for checks on an irregular heartbeat, and because she was suffering headaches they carried out further tests and found the haematoma.

A banner of support outside the Buenos Aires hospital

Ms Kirchner's medical drama comes at a politically fraught moment, with only three weeks until legislative elections in which she hopes to retain control of Congress in the middle of her final term.

Vice President Amado Boudou has pledged to keep the government running, though he has not officially assumed the presidency.

A figure of controversy, Mr Boudou is under investigation for alleged corruption and currently has one of the worst images among Argentinian politicians.

Some opposition candidates have raised concerns over the uncertainty surrounding Ms Kirchner's medical condition.

"There is missing information," Jose Ignacio de Mendiguren told Radio La Red. "We should be getting more information about the seriousness of the issue."

Argentina's first democratically-elected female leader has had several health concerns while in office.

In January 2012, less than a month into her second term, Ms Kirchner underwent surgery to remove her thyroid gland only to be told that she had been mistakenly diagnosed with cancer.

Mr Boudou is under investigation for alleged corruption

But news of Ms Kirchner's latest ailment caught Argentina by surprise.

She showed no hint of ill-health in the weeks following the fall, maintaining a busy schedule and trips to Paraguay, Russia and the United Nations General Assembly meeting.

It is not unusual for symptoms of a chronic subdural haematoma to take weeks to appear, and many patients do not even recall injuring their heads.

Symptoms can include confusion, decreased memory, difficulty speaking and walking, drowsiness, headaches, and weakness or numbness in the arms, leg or face.

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