Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has undergone a specialized medical procedure to address a case of recurrent hiccups that has plagued him for several months. The development occurred while the 70-year-old was temporarily released from prison, where he is serving a lengthy sentence for his role in an attempted coup.
Medical Procedure for Persistent Hiccups
According to his medical team, Bolsonaro underwent an anesthetic block of the phrenic nerve on Saturday. This nerve controls the diaphragm, the muscle responsible for breathing, which when irritated can cause prolonged hiccups. The procedure was performed at the DF Star Hospital in Brasilia, where Bolsonaro has been recovering from a separate groin hernia surgery conducted on Thursday.
Dr. Claudio Birolini, one of Bolsonaro's physicians, explained the process to reporters. The team used an ultrasound machine to locate the phrenic nerve before injecting it with a local analgesic. Dr. Mateus Saldanha confirmed the Saturday procedure "went well." Dr. Birolini emphasized that it was not a surgical operation involving incisions, but a targeted block that took approximately an hour to complete.
The medical intervention treated the right side of the nerve, with a follow-up procedure for the left side scheduled for Monday. Former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro shared the ordeal on Instagram, writing, "My love just went to the surgical center to have his phrenic nerve blocked. It’s been nine months of struggle and anguish with daily hiccups."
Background: From Stabbing to Prison Sentence
Bolsonaro's current health issues are partly linked to the aftermath of a severe abdominal stab wound he suffered during a campaign rally in 2018. The injury required multiple major surgeries in the years that followed.
In September, Brazil's Supreme Court found the far-right leader guilty of conspiring to remain in power after losing the 2022 election to leftist rival Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The court handed down a 27-year prison sentence. The coup plot ultimately failed due to a lack of support from the country's top military officials. Bolsonaro, who was president from 2019 to 2022, has maintained his innocence, claiming political persecution by the Supreme Court.
He was under house arrest from August until his formal imprisonment began on November 22. He was granted a temporary release this past Wednesday specifically to undergo the planned hernia surgery. Once discharged from the hospital, he will return to serve his sentence at a federal police jail in the capital, Brasilia.
Supreme Court Orders House Arrest for Co-Conspirators
In a related development on Saturday, Brazil's Supreme Court also ordered house arrest for ten officials from Bolsonaro's administration. These individuals were convicted for their involvement in planning the coup attempt, seeking legal justification for it, or spreading disinformation about it on social media.
The ten had been out of prison pending appeals. One of them, Silvinei Vasques, was detained in Paraguay on Friday after allegedly attempting to board a flight using false documents.
The series of events underscores the ongoing legal and political repercussions from the 2022 election period in Brazil, with its former leader now facing significant health challenges behind bars.
