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Former Saints player Steve Gleason is recovering after undergoing what he called a “semi-planned tracheotomy” on Monday in New Orleans.

Gleason suffers from ALS, which he has battled courageously for years and whose Team Gleason helps others battling the disease, and was admitted to the hospital while undergoing airway issues. The procedure was something that was planned for the coming months, but the onset of issues on Monday pushed up the timeline.

The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports that tracheotomies, which surgically open the windpipe to aid breathing, are common for ALS patients as they gradually lose the use of their lungs as a result of the disease.

Gleason announced the procedure in a tweet. An update to the Team Gleason Facebook page said that Gleason was doing well after the surgery and that there was “no doubt this will enable him to be more active in his mission to continue living a productive and rich life as a husband, father, adventurer and advocate for the end of ALS.” We hope that the recovery continues to go smoothly and that Gleason is back to work on all fronts as soon as possible.