Portuguese president undergoes surgery, agenda cancelled by Jan.1

LISBON, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, underwent an urgent surgery on umbilical hernia on Thursday at a hospital in Lisbon with all his agendas being cancelled by Jan. 1, according to a statement posted on his official website.

Rebelo de Sousa was admitted into Hospital Curry Cabral in Lisbon to be operated on for an umbilical hernia that had become strangulated, the statement said.

The president cancelled all of Thursday's agenda as well those of the coming days, including the travels planned for Dec. 31 and Jan. 1, to regions affected by the deadly October forest fires, which claimed 45 lives, it said.

Eduardo Barroso, the surgeon who operated on the president said that the surgery was scheduled for Jan. 4, but was brought forward to Thursday after the doctor of the presidency Daniel Matos diagnosed that the hernia was strangulated.

Barroso said that the surgery took about an hour and the president is in "great" mood and can be discharged in 48 hours.

The 69-year-old president, who took office in March 2016, has won acclaim by his frequency to meet and greet the general public. Enditem