AS Roma defender Leandro Castan undergoes successful brain surgery

AS Roma defender Leandro Castan had successful brain surgery Wednesday morning, the club announced. Castan, a Brazilian center back, had complained of

AS Roma defender Leandro Castan had successful brain surgery Wednesday morning, the club announced. 

Castan, a Brazilian center back, had complained of dizziness during a match against Empoli in September, his only appearance of the season. Subsequent tests revealed a congenital vascular alteration in his brain, the team said in November, and he was scheduled for surgery. 

The surgery took more than three hours to remove the three-centimeter blood vessel which caused Castan's condition. He will remain in an intensive care unit for 24 hours.

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Castan, 28, has played for Roma since 2012. He played for four different clubs in his native Brazil from 2005 to 2012. 

- Dan Gartland