Sen. Coverdell Undergoes Brain Surgery After Cerebral Hemorrhage

ATLANTA —  Sen. Paul Coverdell (R-Ga.) underwent surgery Monday to relieve pressure on his brain after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage.

The two-hour operation was a success, but it was unclear what the lasting effects on Coverdell will be, said Dr. Gary Gropper, the neurosurgeon who performed the surgery at Atlanta’s Piedmont Hospital.

“I think over the next 48 hours we’ll have a better idea how he’s doing,” Gropper said.

Coverdell is listed in serious condition and will remain in the intensive care unit for the foreseeable future, said Sen. Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), a doctor who is a friend of the family.

Coverdell, 61, was hospitalized Saturday night after complaining of severe headaches. Tests showed the hemorrhage in the temporal lobe of his brain, and his condition worsened, making the surgery necessary, Frist said.

Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott opened the Senate on Monday by saying of Coverdell: “I don’t know of a senator who works any harder or has a more indomitable spirit. Our thoughts and our prayers are with him.”

Coverdell, who has been in the Senate since 1992, is the fourth-leading Republican in the chamber. He also serves as the Senate point man for presidential candidate George W. Bush and has been busy preparing for the GOP convention, which begins in Philadelphia in two weeks.