Conservative former President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro’s Christmas Day double hernia surgery went “smoothly” and with no complications, his medical team confirmed.
The doctors, however, did not rule out the need for a new procedure “soon.”
Bolsonaro underwent a three-hour long surgery on Thursday at the DF Star Hospital in Brasília to repair a bilateral inguinal hernia and is reportedly expected to remain hospitalized until at least Monday, December 29.
The former president is presently serving a 27 years and three months prison sentence on “crimes against democracy” charges. He received authorization from Supreme Federal Tribunal (STF) Justice Alexandre de Moraes to be hospitalized — the Justice, however, ordered police to impose a 24-hour surveillance at the hospital during Bolsonaro’s stay.
One of Bolsonaro’s sons, Rio de Janeiro Councilman Carlos Bolsonaro, published a statement on social media alongside a photo of his father. In the statement, written in Portuguese, the Councilman denounced that the number of police officers deployed “exceeds” any reasonable limits, and further described it as “absolutely unbelievable and embarrassing.”
“Today is Christmas. It is a day to gather with family and celebrate the Christian values that have shaped our society—values that so many insist on destroying, coincidentally focusing their attacks on one man in particular.
“It is impossible not to be outraged by the persistence of this persecution,” the statement read in part.
The Brazilian outlet Poder 360 published video footage of Bolsonaro supporters praying outside the hospital. Some of the supporters wore Brazilian and Israeli flags.
Bolsonaro’s chief medical officer, surgeon Cláudio Birolini, disclosed details of the procedure to reporters on Thursday afternoon. The surgeon explained that the hernia was corrected and a polypropylene mesh was placed in Bolsonaro’s abdominal wall.
“The procedure went smoothly. He was given general anesthesia, is now awake, and is already in his room. Now, in the immediate postoperative period, he should eat, and over the next few days, care will focus on pain management, physical therapy, and thromboembolism prophylaxis,” Birolini said.
Birolini further detailed that doctors will assess on Monday whether Bolsonaro should undergo a new procedure to alleviate the hiccups he has been experiencing for years.
“We are introducing a new, more optimized treatment, and then we will see how his clinical progress evolves, how often the hiccups occur. It is a symptom that causes a lot of concern because it interferes with sleep. And it is a concern of ours,” Birolini stressed.
Moments before the surgery, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, Bolsonaro’s oldest son, read to reporters a letter penned by the former President confirming his endorsement of Flavio’s 2026 presidential run in light of the “scenario of injustice” of his ban from politics. Jair Bolsonaro, 70, is presently banned from running for office until 2060.
“I am handing over the most important thing in a father’s life: his own son, for the mission of rescuing our Brazil. This is a conscious, legitimate decision, based on the desire to preserve the representation of those who have placed their trust in me,” the handwritten letter, dated December 25, reportedly read.
Thursday’s surgery marked Bolsonaro’s 12th since 2018’s failed assassination attempt, when Bolsonaro was stabbed during a campaign rally. Poder 360 detailed that out of the 12 surgeries, eight — including Thursday’s — have been directly related to complications from the initial stabbing and complications arising from subsequent procedures.
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