Carter recovering following surgery

ATLANTA — Former President Jimmy Carter was recovering Tuesday following surgery to relieve pressure on his brain from bleeding linked to recent falls.

A statement from his spokeswoman said there were no complications from the procedure, performed at Emory University Hospital for a subdural hematoma, blood trapped on the brain’s surface.

Carter, 95, will remain in the hospital for observation, said Deanna Congileo, his spokeswoman at the Carter Center.

The statement said the Carters thank everyone for the many well-wishes they have received, and Congileo doesn’t anticipate making more announcements until he’s released.

It was unclear how long Carter might be hospitalized, said his pastor, the Rev. Tony Lowden.

“If anybody can make it through this Jimmy Carter can. His will to serve is greater than his will to give up,” said Lowden.

The Carter Center said the bleeding was related to Carter’s recent falls. He used a walker during his most recent public appearance.

The first fall, in the spring, required hip replacement surgery. He hit his head falling again on Oct. 6 and received 14 stitches, but still traveled to Nashville, Tennessee, to help build a Habitat for Humanity home shortly thereafter. And he was briefly hospitalized after fracturing his pelvis on Oct. 21.

Carter’s wife of 73 years, Rosalynn Carter, is with him at the hospital, Lowden said. “She won’t leave his side,” Lowden said.

Large bleeds, usually after major trauma, can be life-threatening. But often, especially in elderly patients, the injury is a slow leak that takes a while to build up until initial symptoms such as headaches and confusion appear, said Dr. Lola B. Chambless of Vanderbilt University.