Chretien doing well after brain surgery

MONTREAL, Aug. 8 (UPI) -- Former Canadian Prime minister Jean Chretien was doing "extremely well" Sunday, the day after brain surgery, his doctor said.

Chretien underwent a 2-hour operation at a Montreal hospital to remove blood that had accumulated between his skull and brain after a CT scan had revealed the nature of his problem.

Neurosurgeon Jeff Golan told The Gazette he successfully removed the blood that accumulated on the right-hand side of the 76-year-old former prime minister's brain.

"In terms of recovery, currently he is doing extremely well," Golan said, adding the former prime minister was even cracking jokes. "He's entirely back to his baseline. Naturally we're going to keep him under observation for another two, three days. His otherwise hectic lifestyle will have to wait for a few weeks.

"The potential was there for his life to have been in danger."

Dr. Marc Afilalo, head of the hospital's emergency department, said Chretien was "totally lucid, totally alert."

His daughter had called Jewish General Hospital Thursday to say he was having trouble walking, The (Montreal) Gazette reported. The bleeding may have been caused when Chretien fell on his basement steps in June but doctors can't be sure, newspaper said.

Chretien had quadruple bypass surgery in October 2007.