Bolsonaro Undergoes Second Nerve Block Procedure as Persistent Hiccups Continue
Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro underwent a second phrenic nerve block procedure on Monday as doctors sought to treat a bout of persistent hiccups that has lasted for months. Medical staff reported that the treatment went well and that his condition is stable.
The minimally invasive, non-surgical procedure followed an initial phrenic nerve block performed on the right side on Saturday. Physicians had postponed blocking the nerve on the left side until Monday to reduce potential risks. The phrenic nerve, described in medical literature as a vital nerve that originates in the neck, controls the diaphragm, the primary muscle involved in breathing.
Bolsonaro has been in hospital since Christmas Eve after being granted judicial permission to leave prison to undergo hernia repair surgery. That operation was successful, but the episode of daily hiccups persisted, prompting clinicians to pursue targeted nerve block treatment.
Michelle Bolsonaro, the former president’s wife, accompanied him during his hospital stay and posted updates on his condition. She wrote: “Procedure completed. Thank God, we are now waiting for him to be taken back to his room.” Earlier she described the experience as “nine months of struggle and anguish with daily hiccups.”
Dr Claudio Birolini told journalists the former president was expected to be discharged on 1 January, provided his recovery remains uneventful. Once discharged from the hospital, Bolsonaro will return to serving his sentence at a federal police jail in Brasilia.
Bolsonaro was authorised by supreme court justice Alexandre de Moraes to leave prison for the hernia surgery at the request of his defence lawyers. While hospitalized, Bolsonaro issued a statement endorsing the 2026 presidential bid of his son, Flavio Bolsonaro.
The former leader is serving a 27-year prison sentence for attempting a coup to overturn the 2022 election. He has experienced ongoing health problems since he was stabbed during a presidential campaign event in September 2018 and subsequently underwent multiple abdominal surgeries.
Physicians opted for a staged approach to the phrenic nerve block. The first procedure targeted the right phrenic nerve and was performed on Saturday. Clinicians delayed the left-sided block until Monday to manage potential complications associated with simultaneous bilateral nerve blocks, which can affect diaphragm function.
Phrenic nerve block procedures are typically described as minimally invasive interventions intended to modulate nerve signals that provoke diaphragmatic spasms, including protracted hiccups. In this case, the interventions aim to relieve a condition that Bolsonaro’s family has described as persistent and debilitating.
Medical staff indicated that the second procedure proceeded without complication and that the former president’s overall condition remained stable. Hospital officials will continue to monitor him in the immediate post-procedural period to confirm that breathing and other vital functions are unaffected.
If recovery proceeds as anticipated, hospital discharge on 1 January will mark the end of this particular phase of care, after which Bolsonaro will return to custody to continue serving his sentence. The hernia operation and subsequent nerve-block procedures were conducted while he remained under judicial authorisation to leave prison for medical treatment.
The phrenic nerve block represents a targeted clinical response to a complex postoperative and post-traumatic clinical course. Bolsonaro’s ongoing health needs reflect complications tied to his prior injury and surgeries as well as the persistence of symptoms that have required specialist input.
Officials have not disclosed a detailed postoperative timeline beyond the expected discharge date, and will assess Bolsonaro’s readiness to return to prison custody based on standard medical criteria and the absence of complications following the procedures.
Key Topics
Jair Bolsonaro, Phrenic Nerve Block, Persistent Hiccups, Diaphragm Control, Hernia Surgery, Prison Leave For Medical Treatment, Michelle Bolsonaro, Alexandre De Moraes Authorization, Flavio Bolsonaro 2026 Campaign, 27-year Prison Sentence, Postoperative Complications, Diaphragmatic Spasm Treatment, Phrenic Nerve Block Risks, Staged Nerve Block Approach, 2018 Stabbing Injury