Doctors expected to discharge the former Brazilian president from hospital next Thursday, but this new procedure could extend the deadline for his return to prison
Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro underwent a new surgical procedure this Tuesday to reinforce the blockage of a nerve in the diaphragm, with the aim of controlling his recurring bouts of hiccups, the medical team reported.
This was the third intervention to which the former Brazilian head of state was subjected in the last four days, all aimed at containing the bouts of hiccups he has been suffering from for months.
“(Bolsonaro) presented new episodes of hiccups, which is why he underwent a supplement to the anesthetic block of the bilateral phrenic nerves”, indicated the latest note from the DF Star Hospital, in Brasília, where he remains in “post-operative care”.
The far-right leader, who is serving a 27-year prison sentence for attempting a coup d’état, entered this private clinic, with prior judicial authorization, given on the 24th to correct only a bilateral inguinal hernia.
The hernia operation was carried out on Christmas Day, and Bolsonaro is progressing well since then.
Therefore, from that moment on, doctors focused on treating hiccups, apparently a consequence of the dozen surgeries he had undergone since he was stabbed in the abdomen during the 2018 election campaign.
So, last Saturday, the right phrenic nerve was partially blocked; and on Monday, the left. However, this morning, the head of the President of Brazil had new episodes of involuntary diaphragm contractions, as reported by former Rio de Janeiro councilor Carlos Bolsonaro, one of the sons of the former head of state (2019-2022).
Michelle Bolsonaro, wife of Jair Bolsonaro, also reported that these new episodes did not stop until this afternoon, so the medical team opted to “perform a reinforcement of the phrenic nerve block”.
The latest medical bulletin indicated that the retired Army captain will undergo an endoscopy on Wednesday to evaluate “gastroesophageal reflux”, while continuing with “respiratory physiotherapy”, nightly treatment for sleep apnea and “preventive measures against thrombosis”.
Doctors expected to release him from hospital next Thursday, but this new procedure could extend the deadline for his return to prison.
On September 11th, the former president was convicted by the Supreme Court of Brazil for “leading” a conspiracy to try to “perpetuate himself in power” after losing the 2022 presidential elections to the current president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Since the end of November, Bolsonaro has been serving his prison sentence at the headquarters of the Federal Police Superintendence in Brasília. His lawyers have requested several times that he be granted house arrest on a “humanitarian” basis due to his delicate state of health, but, so far, the Supreme Court has denied all appeals.
