Ex-Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro to undergo surgery as potential legal challenges loom

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is scheduled to be admitted to São Paulo's Vila Nova Star hospital for surgery on Monday afternoon (local time), reported Otempo news .While the procedures, including hiatal hernia correction, are slated for Tuesday, the final course of action depends on Bolsonaro's health evaluation upon admission.

Initially, two procedures are planned to rectify the hiatal hernia. Depending on Bolsonaro's recovery, there is also consideration for surgery to address a deviated septum. Furthermore, doctors are evaluating a third procedure to reconstruct intestinal loops, necessitated by the stab wound Bolsonaro endured during the 2018 elections in Juiz de Fora (MG). However, this particular surgery may be postponed to a later date in the coming months.

A history of surgical interventions

Since a stabbing incident during an election campaign commitment in September 2018, Jair Bolsonaro has undergone a total of five surgeries. His most recent operation occurred on January 9 of this year in the United States, preceding the presidential inauguration of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT). This procedure involved addressing an incisional hernia necessitated by abdominal discomfort.

The fourth intervention took place in September 2019, marking one year after the stabbing incident, at Vila Nova Star hospital in São Paulo. The initial three surgeries were performed shortly after the stabbing incident in 2018, with procedures taking place at Santa Casa de Juiz de Fora (MG) and Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein (SP). The former Brazil president's post-surgical recovery also led to additional hospitalizations due to complications arising from the stab wound.

Legal challenges amidst surgical care

While facing a series of surgical procedures, Jair Bolsonaro is concurrently confronting multiple criminal investigations that could potentially result in prison sentences. On Saturday, Brazil's Supreme Court approved a cooperation agreement between one of Bolsonaro's former aides and the Federal Police, further complicating the former president's legal situation.