Jordi Pujol recovers after surgery for a stroke in a Barcelona hospital

The former president of the Generalitat Jordi Pujol leaves his house, last July.Carles Ribas

The former president of the Generalitat Jordi Pujol, 92, is recovering this Tuesday from an intervention after he was operated on Monday afternoon at the Hospital de Sant Pau, in Barcelona, ​​after suffering a stroke in the morning.

Family sources have explained that the former head of the Government has slept well and has spoken briefly with his children.

The doctors at the hospital center confirmed at a press conference that Pujol is "stable" and that he will continue to be admitted "between three and seven more days".

They have not specified, however, whether the

will recover 100% of his language abilities because he is still under the effects of sedation.

"We must wait between 24 and 48 hours to more accurately determine his neurological status," said Dr. Albert Lleó, director of Neurology at the center.

Pujol began to suffer from a language disorder (aphasia) at 11 am on Monday and was initially admitted to the Barcelona hospital, where they detected an ischemic stroke due to lack of blood flow to the brain.

Subsequently, he was referred to the Cerebral Vascular Diseases Unit of the Sant Pau hospital at five in the afternoon, where he underwent surgery to remove an obstruction from an intracranial segment of an artery.

The speed in detecting the stroke and the good state of health of the former head of the Government made it easier for the medical team to carry out an endovascular treatment, which is higher risk than other options, after agreeing with the family.

The medical team performed a mechanical thrombectomy (removal of the thrombus) using a femoral catheter, which allowed the obstruction to be aspirated and facilitated the recanalization of blood flow.

Dr. Jaume Padrós, president of the Official College of Physicians of Barcelona and the family's personal physician, explained in the morning at RAC-1 that the children decided to undertake this higher-risk procedure, in line with the way Pujol has acted in other occasions.

Marta Ferrusola, his wife, suffers from advanced senile dementia.

Family sources have explained that, in the brief conversation they had this morning, the one who was one of the founders of the extinct Convergència has recognized them and explained that he is aware of what is happening around him.

Although he will still have to continue under medical observation, it is a sign of improvement, despite the fact that doctors consider it "premature" to assess his evolution.

In any case, his life is not in danger.

Pujol's last public intervention was last weekend, when he participated in an interview on Catalunya Ràdio, on the occasion of the Diada.

There he defended his political legacy as head of the Government despite the judicial scandals in which he has been involved in recent years and praised the "resilient" character of the Catalan nation.

“He has resisted attacks, hostilities and enmities, even today, and geography, the world and economic evolution have not always played in his favor, and they do not work in his favor,” he said.

Last October, Pujol had undergone surgery after paroxysmal atrial fibrillation was detected.

After the outpatient operation and after two days in the Barcelona Hospital, he was discharged.

The

is waiting to know the date of the trial against him and his seven children.

In July 2020, the judge of the National Court José de la Mata prosecuted them for crimes of illicit association, money laundering and against the Public Treasury, among others.

"I would put my hand in the fire for a large part of my family," he assured last July, in an interview with SER Catalunya, when asked about that legal case.

You can follow EL PAÍS Catalunya on