Former President underwent intestinal surgery in Brasilia on Sunday after being on Friday.
Bolsonaro underwent laparotomy — a procedure involving an incision through the abdominal wall — “to treat intestinal adhesions and reconstitute the abdominal wall,” said a statement from the DF Star hospital where he was being treated.
“Operation finished with success!” Michelle Bolsonaro, the former leader’s wife, wrote on Instagram on Sunday evening, more than 11 hours after the procedure began. She thanked those who had prayed for her husband.
“This major operation lasted twelve hours and went smoothly, without the need for a blood transfusion,” said a medical bulletin from the hospital.
Bolsonaro initially declared stable before new medical assessment
Earlier this weekend, doctors had said the pain was caused by complications linked to a knife attack during his presidential campaign in 2018. The stabbing was nearly fatal, as he lost some 40% of his blood and had to have emergency surgery.
The far-right populist had himself said on social media that the issue was “a consequence of the multiple surgeries I needed to undergo after the attack in 2018.”
Bolsonaro was initially hospitalized with severe abdominal pain while touring Rio Grande do Norte in northeastern Brazil on Friday – an impoverished region and historically a leftist stronghold.
Doctors in the city of Natal initially told the media that he was stable and did not need emergency surgery before transferring him to Brasilia on board a medical aircraft.
“After so many similar episodes over the past few years, I had gotten used to the pain and discomfort. But this time, even the doctors were surprised,” Bolsonaro said in a social media post on Saturday. He underwent several surgeries during his presidency from 2019-2022.
Staff in the capital, however, said that “new tests revealed the persistence of the intestinal blockage despite the clinical treatment initially adopted” and “opted, by common agreement, for the surgical intervention.”
Bolsonaro accused of attempting to overthrow government
Bolsonaro has been on a tour around Brazil to for his supporters who stormed the capital after his 2022 election loss.
Last month, Brazil’s Supreme Court ruled he will stand trial for allegedly plotting to overthrow the .
He denies the charges, calling the case a politically motivated attack.
Meanwhile, the far-right politician has been trying to posture himself as a leading candidate in the elections next year even though he has been barred from holding office until 2030 for making unsubstantiated claims of fraud in Brazil’s electronic voting system.
Edited by: Wesley Dockery
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