HOUSTON -- Grammy-winning Tejano singer Emilio Navaira III underwent a second surgery to reduce swelling in his brain, KPRC Local 2 reported Wednesday.

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Slideshow: Emilio Injured In Bus Crash

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Navaira, 45, known to his fans simply as Emilio, was behind the wheel of his tour bus at about 5 a.m. Sunday following a Saturday night show when it slammed into an interchange barrier on the West Loop near the Southwest Freeway, propelling him through the windshield.

The neurosurgeon who has been treating the San Antonio-born Navaira said a CAT-scan revealed a bruise in the left temporal area and that the pressure in his brain began to increase.

Navaira underwent a two-hour surgery Tuesday evening.

"We reopened the same incision on the left side of his head and removed the bone flap. And underneath the skull is a thick membrane called the dura and we reopened that, and that gave the brain some room to expand. The skull is a closed box, so if the brain swells, there's no room to accommodate swelling," said Dr. Alex Valadka, director of neurotrauma services at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center and vice chair of neurosciences at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. "Swelling never got out of control, but it was heading in a negative direction and we thought we would intervene before it got to a critical point."

Navaira remained in critical condition Wednesday. He is still in a medically induced coma, where he is expected to remain for the next several days.

"He's better off than he was a few days ago," Valadka said. "Emilio handled the surgery fine, without any complications. After the surgery, pressures in the brain were lower."

Physicians used a research technique of hypothermia to lower his body temperature to keep Navaira's brain from further swelling and help his recovery. His body temperature was raised back to normal on Tuesday.

A third surgery will be need to replace the bone removed from his skull, which will take place in the next few months.

Navaira underwent surgery on Sunday night to remove a blood clot from his brain immediately after the accident.

Police said while the crash remained under investigation, their preliminary probe showed Navaira was not licensed to drive the 26,000-pound bus his agent said the singer loved to drive and normally did.

Navaira's brother, Raul Navaira, 40, said he doubted fatigue was a factor in the crash.

"We're used to driving all over Texas every weekend. (Emilio) is always driving. It was like any other night. We finished the show. I went straight to the bus. I fell asleep on the front couch and the next thing I know I felt stuff falling all over me. I wake up and just remember getting out of the bus," Raul Navaira said. "My brother loved to drive the bus. We lost our bus driver about six months ago and (Emilio) didn't want just anybody driving our bus. He loved driving that bus."

Raul Navaira said his brother looked good considering the severity of the accident.

"We joke that when he was ejected from the bus, he was like, 'No, not the face,' and he protected his face," he said.

He did not know much about the investigation.

"They're investigating whether any alcohol was involved. I don't know," he said.

Raul Navaira suffered a sprained ankle, cuts and scrapes in the accident.

He thanked the public for all their thoughts and prayers.

"We can feel them and we've got to imagine my brother getting better," brother Raul Navaira said. "With that, I'm sure he'll be back on stage very soon."

More Information:

Memorial Hermann's Web Site: Provides Updates On Emilio's Condition