With hypertension, Bolsonaro will spend New Year’s Eve in a hospital in Brasília
Former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL) is expected to spend New Year’s Eve at the DF Star hospital, in Brasília, where he has been hospitalized since Christmas Eve. The information was released by the former president’s medical team after completing an operation on Monday, in continuation of treatment to prevent persistent hiccups.
“We are working with the hypothesis that, if there are no new complications, new problems, that he stays here (in the hospital) until the 1st (January), until Thursday”, said surgeon Cláudio Birolini at a press conference.
The former president was hospitalized for correction of a bilateral inguinal hernia, carried out on Thursday, but new procedures were carried out. The intervention that took place on Monday consisted of an anesthetic block of the phrenic nerve on the left side. Last Saturday, he underwent the same treatment on the right side.
Bolsonaro is expected to undergo an endoscopy in the next few days:
“We need at least 48 hours to evaluate results, complications, this time will be waited. A new upper digestive endoscopy is still planned. We will possibly do it tomorrow or on Wednesday”, pointed out the doctor.
Birolini also stated that Bolsonaro has been experiencing episodes of sleep apnea.
“Last night he underwent a polysomnography exam again, to study sleep apnea, and the exam really showed that he has severe sleep apnea, he has practically 50 episodes of sleep apnea per hour. Which shows the need for an improvement in his sleep pattern. He may have to spend the next few days with some equipment to deal with this situation.”
In turn, cardiologist Brasil Caiado highlighted that the former president had episodes of high blood pressure.
“On Saturday afternoon he began to respond differently. The former president already has high blood pressure, he is already medicated and has his tension under control, but on Saturday he had a hypertensive peak. We doubled the dose of medication and adjusted it on Sunday morning. Today (Monday), during the procedure and immediately after, he again had a hypertensive crisis and we had to use medication via vein.”
He added, however, that the former president presents “a stable picture”.
Understand phrenic nerve block
Phrenic nerve block is an anesthetic procedure used in specific cases of persistent hiccups, when clinical treatment with medication does not provide a satisfactory response. The function of this nerve is to control the movements of the diaphragm, a fundamental muscle for breathing — and it is precisely the involuntary contraction of the diaphragm that causes hiccups.
During the procedure, doctors apply localized anesthesia to temporarily reduce the conduction of nerve impulses that reach the diaphragm. With this, the objective is to stop the involuntary contractions responsible for hiccups.
The blockage does not cause permanent paralysis or permanently interfere with breathing. This is a temporary and controlled measure, used to assess whether interrupting the nervous stimulus is capable of stopping the episodes.
In some cases, such as Jair Bolsonaro’s, the treatment is carried out bilaterally, first on one side and then on the other, as part of a medical strategy to observe the body’s response before completing the procedure.
The method is only indicated in specific situations and after detailed clinical evaluation, especially when hiccups are associated with neurological or gastrointestinal changes.
What is bilateral inguinal hernia surgery?
Bilateral inguinal hernia occurs when part of the intestine protrudes through weakened points in the abdominal wall in the groin area.
The surgery aims to reposition the abdominal contents and reinforce the local muscles, reducing the risk of pain, complications and new protrusions.
The procedure will be performed under general anesthesia, with continuous monitoring of vital functions.
