Former President Jimmy Carter is recovering after a Tuesday morning operation to relieve pressure on his brain.
Carter, 95, was hospitalized on Monday after being diagnosed with a subdural hematoma, or blood collecting outside of and putting pressure on the brain. The former president was scheduled to undergo the operation at Emory University Hospital in Georgia.
“There are no complications from the surgery. President Carter will remain in the hospital as long as advisable for observation,” The Carter Center said in a Tuesday statement. “President and Mrs. Carter thank everyone for the many well-wishes they have received.”
The Carter Center added that it is likely no further updates will be given until the former president is released from the hospital.
Statement on President Carter’s Health pic.twitter.com/Yn8iIYVWZc
— The Carter Center (@CarterCenter) November 12, 2019
Carter’s medical complication stemmed from recent falls he suffered at his home last month. In the first of two falls, he split his head on a sharp edge and the cut he endured required 14 stitches. The second fall left him with a broken pelvis. In May, he underwent surgery after another fall, during which he broke his hip as he was preparing to go turkey hunting.
Carter is the oldest living former U.S. president. He served one term in the White House from 1977 to 1981 after defeating former President Gerald Ford in 1976. He went on to lose to Ronald Reagan in the 1980 presidential election. Prior to his presidency, he was former a submariner in the Navy and Annapolis graduate. He now teaches Sunday School at his local church in Georgia.
