Brazilian football legend Edison Arantes do Nascimento, aka Pele has undergone a prostate surgery at the Albert Einstein hospital. The 74 year-old athlete was taken to hospital with no details on why he was referred to the hospital.
According to the Globo Esporte website, Pele suffers from arthrodesis, a procedure used to treat pain caused by the motion or instability of the spine.
Pele is suffering from compression of two vertebrae which made him lose the strength in his legs, especially in his right leg.
The only player who won World Cup three times was to undergo this operation last year but other health problems forced him to put off the surgery.
‘O Rei’ (The King) as he is known, Pele was admitted on Tuesday, but his family did not allow the hospital to disclose the reason for the operation, Globo Esporte said.
Pele has been admitted to the same hospital several times since 2012 and expected to be discharged.
In May, Pele was admitted for four days and had surgery for an enlarged prostate.
Last November, Pele underwent operation for kidney stones and then came down with an illness that mandated treatment in a hospital intensive care unit for several days.
His only remaining kidney — the other was removed following a rib injury during his playing days — stopped working and had to be treated with dialysis.
He also had surgery on his femur in November 2012.
The athlete is widely regarded as the greatest footballer of all time.
Pele first secured Brazil’s victory against Sweden in 1958 at the age of 17.
