MADRID, Spain — Seve Ballesteros is improving after last week's surgery on his cancerous brain tumor.

The La Paz hospital said Wednesday in a one-sentence statement that the 51-year-old golfing great remains in intensive care and has also undergone a tracheotomy, a procedure it called common in cases like his.

The hospital said Ballesteros' condition was "evolving favorably."

Ballesteros underwent a 6½-hour operation Friday on the brain tumor and the hospital said the surgery went better than expected. The operation removed what remained of the tumor and reduced the swelling on his brain.