Argentinian rocker Gustavo Cerati has undergone brain surgery to remove a potentially fatal blood clot, just days after he was admitted to hospital following a mini-stroke.
The singer, 50, was taken to hospital in Venezuela after collapsing at the end of a concert in Caracas on Saturday (15May10).
Doctors confirmed Cerati suffered a "ischemic vascular event", a condition which reduces blood flow to the brain and is known as a mini-stroke.
He was reported to be in a stable condition on Monday (17May10) but doctors were forced to operate on him on Tuesday (18May10) after discovering the clot.
Cerati is now recovering in intensive care and hospital director Adolfredo Saez admits, "The first 72 hours are critical."
Saez adds, "(The surgery opened) a window to allow the pressure to diminish and prevent the brain stem from swelling, which could cause death."