Eighty-four year-old Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi [Images] "successfully" underwent a minimal invasive surgery for back pain on Wednesday and all his parameters are "absolutely normal."
    
"The operation, which lasted three hours, was successful and he is doing well," noted spine surgeon Dr Arvind Jaiswal of All India Institute of Medical Sciences, who operated upon Karunanidhi, told media-persons.
    
"All his parameters are absolutely normal and he has been shifted to the Intensive Care Unit," Jaiswal added.
    
Karunanidhi was admitted to the Sri Ramachandra Medical College Hospital in Chennai on January 26 for treatment of muscle strain that had been causing pain in his spinal cord.     

Dr S S K Marthandam, Chief Orthopaedic Surgeon of SRMC hospital, heading a team of 14 doctors to monitor the Chief Minister's health condition, said Karunanidhi should remain in the ICU for at least 48 hours. "He will be discharged in a week or ten days", he said.
    
He said Karunanidhi, who was given general anaesthesia during the operation, is able to move his arms and legs. He
has also recovered from anaesthesia and is 'doing fine". He has been advised to avoid rigorous travel, the doctor said.
    
A team of doctors, including Dr A Jaiswal, who flew in from Delhi [Images] on Saturday, decided to perform the surgery as
there was no relief from the pain, caused by the muscle strain. The decision to perform the operation was taken after
an MRI scan was done.