Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro has undergone his third medical procedure in four days to treat persistent hiccups.
Doctors performed a third surgery to block his phrenic nerve. The nerve is located in the neck and is important in controlling the diaphragm, which controls breathing.
The former president’s wife, Michelle Bolsonaro, revealed on social media that her husband had undergone the procedure for the third time because his hiccups had not stopped since the weekend.
The far-right leader is serving a 27-year sentence after plotting a coup to overturn the 2022 election.
Bolsonaro’s medical team said he would undergo further tests on Wednesday to determine where the gastroesophageal reflux occurred. This occurs when stomach acid backs up into the throat, causing heartburn.
The two hiccup operations, which occurred on Saturday and Monday, repaired Bolsonaro’s right and left phrenic nerves.
Doctors said Tuesday that they “do not expect the hospital stay to be much longer.”
His wife Michelle said the former president’s surgery followed “nine months of struggle and agony with daily hiccups.”
Bolsonaro, 70, was originally admitted to a hospital in the capital Brasilia on Christmas Day to undergo successful double hernia surgery. He was scheduled to be discharged on January 1 if his recovery went well.
Brazil’s Supreme Court has allowed the imprisoned former president to be transferred to hospital from police headquarters where he is serving his sentence.
Former President Lee underwent intestinal surgery last April prior to hernia surgery.
Bolsonaro served as President of Brazil from 2019 to 2023. He lost to current Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the 2022 election.
A month before the 2018 election, a man stabbed Bolsonaro in the abdomen at a campaign rally, causing severe bleeding and requiring surgery. The stabbing incident continued to cause health problems for far-right figures.
He supported his son Flavio Bolsonaro, who will run against Lula in the 2026 presidential election.
