Cuba's supreme leader Fidel Castro, 80, is in serious condition after three failed surgeries on his large intestine for diverticulitis, which was complicated by infection.
Diverticulitis is the inflammation of the pouch-like bulges in the intestinal wall. Peritonitis is an infection of the lining of the abdominal cavity.
Castro had suffered a serious infection that worsened to peritonitis, a Spanish newspaper reported on Tuesday, citing medical sources at the hospital in Madrid where a surgeon who visited Castro in December, 2006, works.
The paper El Pais said Castro`s prognosis is "very serious" and he is being fed intravenously.
A diplomat had said on Monday that Castro has been having problems with the healing of his stitches.
The diplomat also dismissed reports that Castro may have cancer.
United States officials had said they suspected the Cuban leader could be terminally ill with cancer, but they offered no evidence.
Cuban officials in Havana were not immediately available to comment on the reports. The Cuban authorities have consistently said they would not divulge details of Castro's illness.
The first operation, done to extract a part of his large intestine and connect the colon to the rectum, was a failure and the link broke, releasing feces into the abdomen that caused another peritonitis.
The second operation to clean and drain the infected area and perform a colostomy also failed. The third one was to implant a prothesis.
When Spanish surgeon Jose Luis Garcia Sabrido visited Castro in late December, 2006, Cuban doctors were considering another operation.
"The patient required drainage for more than half a litre of fluids a day, which is causing him a severe loss of nutrients," the Spanish paper reported.
Castro, who took power in Cuba in 1959, has not been seen in public since July 26, 2006. He had handed over power to his brother five days later, triggering speculation that he is so ill that he may never return to power on the communist-run Caribbean island.
In a New Year's message issued on December 30, 2006, Castro had told Cubans that he was recovering slowly from surgery and said his recovery was "far from being a lost battle."Labels: International Politics |
