Former President Jair Bolsonaro, hospitalized since December 24, 2025, for inguinal hernia surgery, remains stable and hiccup-free after a right phrenic nerve block on December 27 to treat nine months of persistent crises. A brief episode occurred that night, but he is now recovering, with the left-side procedure scheduled for December 29 and discharge eyed for December 31.
Following successful bilateral inguinal hernia repair on December 25 at DF Star Hospital in Brasília—under Federal Police surveillance authorized by STF Justice Alexandre de Moraes—Bolsonaro endured a severe hiccup flare-up unresponsive to medications. The ultrasound-guided right phrenic nerve block, performed December 27 by radiologist Mateus Saldanha, used anesthetic and corticosteroid to interrupt diaphragm impulses. Risks include elevated abdominal pressure compressing the thoracic cavity and potential brachial plexus effects, per Saldanha.
A Sunday, December 28, medical bulletin noted a Saturday night hiccup recurrence with high blood pressure, but Bolsonaro is now stable, undergoing physiotherapy and thrombosis prophylaxis. The left block is set for December 29 afternoon, followed by 48-hour monitoring. Positive progress could allow discharge December 31, returning him to Federal Police custody for a 27+ year sentence related to an attempted coup since November 2025.
Surgeon Claudio Birolini called the block 'relatively safe but non-standard.' Family, including former First Lady Michelle Bolsonaro, expressed support amid restricted access. This follows Bolsonaro's history of surgeries, including post-2018 stabbing procedures and a 2025 intestinal obstruction repair.
