Bolsonaro Undergoes Second Phrenic-Nerve Block to Halt Refractory Hiccups

Overview

• The left-sided phrenic-nerve block was completed Monday at Hospital DF Star in Brasília, complementing the right-sided block performed over the weekend.
• After the first block, he had a prolonged hiccup episode with elevated blood pressure, but the latest bulletin says he is stable and without hiccups.
• He was admitted on December 24 and underwent bilateral inguinal hernia repair on December 25, with today’s intervention marking a third trip to the operating room during this stay.
• The medical team projects a five to seven day hospitalization with physiotherapy and measures to prevent venous thrombosis.
• Doctors link the persistent hiccups to complications from his 2018 stabbing, and his treatment proceeds under Supreme Court–authorized custody.