As part of the treatment of one at the end of April this year, the president () carried out one this Monday (25) and is expected to carry out another 14 in the next three weeks, as a preventive procedure.
At 80 years old, Lula has a widely documented medical history. In 1964, he suffered a left hand injury in a work accident. In 2011, he was treated for laryngeal cancer and, throughout his third term, he went through and through .
Remember Lula’s health history in recent decades:
Acute appendicitis (1988)
When he was a federal deputy, Lula underwent emergency surgery to remove his appendix after suffering from severe acute appendicitis.
Nasal polyp (2005)
During his first term as President, due to unwanted snoring, Lula underwent surgery for the spongy tissue that makes breathing difficult. The procedure was carried out at Incor (Instituto do Coração), in São Paulo.
Hypertensive crisis (2010)
About to take off towards , in , where he would participate in the World Economic Forum, Lula had an attack and was hospitalized in the capital of Pernambuco. At the time, the doctor said that the problem was caused by stress and fatigue.
He had already shown signs of health problems. During the inauguration of an emergency care unit in the city, Lula complained of flu-like symptoms and, during the launch of a program, he gave up giving a speech.
Laryngeal cancer (2011)
In 2011, the then former president received . After a private celebration, he felt hoarse and had pain in his throat and went to the doctor at Hospital Sírio-Libanês, in São Paulo. The medical team attributes the illness to Lula’s smoking history.
To preserve the functions of the larynx, the team chose chemotherapy over surgery. .
Leucoplasia vocal (2022)
Before traveling to Egypt in 2022, Lula underwent routine tests that confirmed changes in his throat caused by vocal strain. A small area of , characterized by white spots, was also found.
The president underwent minimally invasive surgery that consisted of removing a thin layer of the vocal fold where the lesion was located. Medical analysis ruled out the possibility of neoplasia (cancerous tissue). Doctors attributed the cause to smoking, alcohol consumption and gastroesophageal reflux.
Hip osteoarthritis (2023)
After being diagnosed with advanced osteoarthritis, President Lula underwent an arthroplasty in 2023, with the placement of a prosthesis in the worn joint, in this case the right femur.
Lula had complained of pain, said he was taking daily injections and undergoing physiotherapy sessions to treat the problem. The medical team explained that the wear of the cartilage was related to age or physical exertion.
During his hospitalization, he also underwent blepharoplasty, a plastic surgery to remove excess skin from his eyelids, which was beginning to impair his field of vision.
Head injury (2024)
In October 2024, Lula slipped from a bench in the bathroom of the Palácio da Alvorada while cutting his toenails and hit the back of his head. The blow formed a small hemorrhage in the area between the brain and the skull.
In December, the president underwent successful skull surgery (a ) to drain the accumulation of blood and fluid in the region.
Cataract (2026)
In January of this year, Lula underwent one in his left eye, as part of routine ophthalmological monitoring. The procedure took place at CBV Hospital de Olhos, in Brasília.
This was the second time the president had cataract surgery; in the first one, in 2020, he had an operation on his left eye.
Basal cell carcinoma
In April, Lula was diagnosed with , the most common and least serious type of skin cancer, with a lesion located on the scalp. He underwent a simple surgery at Hospital Sírio-Libanês, in São Paulo, to completely remove the tumor.
The disease had been monitored, and the affected area had already undergone preventive cauterization in February 2026. Even so, the medical team opted for definitive surgical removal to ensure the total elimination of the altered cells.
After removing skin cancer from his scalp, Lula began this Monday (25) a preventive treatment to prevent the reappearance of cancer cells.
