Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes authorized former President Jair Bolsonaro on Friday (December 19) to undergo surgery to correct bilateral inguinal hernia, following a Police Federal report. However, he denied the defense's request for house arrest, stating that conditions at the PF superintendence in Brasília are similar to those at home. The surgery is elective and should be scheduled as soon as possible.
In the ruling issued on Friday (December 19), Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes authorized former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) to undergo surgery to repair bilateral inguinal hernia. The decision followed a Police Federal (PF) medical report indicating the need for the elective procedure, recommending it be done as soon as possible due to refractoriness to treatments, worsening sleep and eating, and risk of complications from increased intra-abdominal pressure.
Moraes emphasized that the intervention is not urgent and that the defense must inform the intended date, with the case files sent to the Attorney General's Office for an opinion within 24 hours. The surgery request had been renewed by the defense earlier in the week, after an initial filing on November 9.
In the same dispatch, the justice denied the house arrest request. He argued that Bolsonaro, held preventively at the PF Superintendence in Brasília, has "absolutely similar conditions" to those at his residential address, with judicial authorization for full medical access at any time and guarantees of on-duty doctors and emergency transport. Moraes also noted the superintendenace's proximity to DF Star hospital, closer than the ex-president's home, avoiding any drawbacks in urgent transfers.
Additionally, Moraes rejected changes to physiotherapy session times during yard time in prison, ruling that the professional must adapt to the PF schedule.
Bilateral inguinal hernia arises from weakness in the abdominal wall in the groin area, allowing the intestine to slip and form a bulge. Risk factors include aging, Bolsonaro's prior surgical history, and constipation. Correction can be done via traditional surgery (Lichtenstein), using a polypropylene mesh to reinforce the area, or laparoscopically, preferable for faster recovery, though not recommended for Bolsonaro due to previous surgeries. The procedure has a success rate over 90%, with recurrence in 2% to 5%, and patients return to normal life within a month. Experts also recommended phrenic nerve block to treat the ex-president's persistent hiccups.
