Admitted on Wednesday, 24, in Brasília for exams and pre-operative preparation for surgery to correct a bilateral inguinal hernia, former president Jair Bolsonaro is ready to carry out the procedures, according to the medical team.
It is estimated that the surgery will last three to four hours and that he will be hospitalized for a week, however, further evaluations will be carried out after the surgery and during the post-operative period.
A medical bulletin released by DF Star Hospital around 4pm on Wednesday reported that Bolsonaro underwent pre-operative examinations, with cardiological and surgical risk assessment, and was considered fit for the proposed procedure.
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The surgery is scheduled to take place today, starting at 9 am, under general anesthesia, expected to last 4 hours.
“The need for the phrenic nerve anesthetic block procedure will be assessed during hospitalization, depending on the postoperative evolution and clinical condition”, says the text.
Understand the procedures
Federal Police medical experts concluded that Bolsonaro needs to undergo surgery to treat a bilateral inguinal hernia.
The former president, who has been imprisoned in a special cell at the PF Superintendence, in Brasília, since November, underwent a battery of tests to check what is causing a frequent bout of hiccups.
Inguinal hernia is a health problem characterized by a bulge that appears in the groin area. This happens when a hole or weakness in the abdominal muscles ends up allowing the soft tissue that is part of the intestine to pass through the muscular region towards the groin skin, forming a protrusion there.
When this occurs on both sides, it is called bilateral. And it can cause swelling, pain or discomfort, especially when straining, coughing or standing for a long time — although it is sometimes asymptomatic.
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The problem is more common in men and can occur at any age, although it is more common in newborns or the elderly. The most common symptom is a bulge in the groin area.
The diagnosis is made through observation of the clinical picture by a specialist doctor. In mild cases, without strong symptoms, treatment may only involve monitoring. However, in the most serious cases, surgical intervention is necessary, as in the case of the former president.
If left untreated, the problem can cause incarceration or strangulation of the hernia. In the case of incarceration, there is a sudden increase in volume that makes it impossible to replace the tissue in the right place, which can lead to intestinal obstruction.
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In the case of strangulation, the blood flow in the region is interrupted, which can lead to necrosis of the intestine, a condition considered extremely serious.
Anesthetic phrenic nerve block
In addition to surgery, doctors scheduled a procedure called “anesthetic phrenic nerve block”, responsible for the movement of the diaphragm. The measure seeks to control persistent hiccups, which have not responded to drug treatment.
Anesthetic phrenic nerve block is a procedure to stop the function of the diaphragm (temporary paralysis). Intentionally used to treat persistent hiccups — a symptom frequently reported by Bolsonaro.
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In the procedure, a small amount of anesthetic is used and injected near the phrenic nerve, which controls the diaphragm. The process is guided by ultrasound and/or a nerve stimulator to accurately identify the nerve and avoid accidental punctures.
The goal of the entire procedure is to relieve the irritated diaphragm, such as in post-surgical or reflux cases, but requires respiratory monitoring due to the risk of respiratory failure. This, in fact, is the main risk of the process. And especially if both phrenic nerves are blocked or in patients with compromised lungs.
Therefore, it requires prolonged observation and post-procedure respiratory monitoring.
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The surgery was authorized by Minister Alexandre de Moraes last Friday, after a Federal Police investigation pointed out the need to carry out the medical intervention.
Bolsonaro is serving a sentence of 27 years and three months in prison after being convicted by the STF for an attempted coup d’état. In the decision, Moraes highlighted that authorization for hospitalization does not interfere with the execution of the sentence.
