Former president Jair Bolsonaro underwent a successful three‑and‑a‑half‑hour double hernia operation in Brasilia and is recovering, his family said. Federal police doctors confirmed he needed the procedure and a court allowed him to leave prison for the surgery. Justice Alexandre de Moraes authorized the operation but denied Bolsonaro's request for house arrest; he remains in a secured federal police facility. Doctors will also evaluate a possible phrenic nerve block to treat recurrent hiccups.
Imprisoned Ex‑President Jair Bolsonaro Undergoes Successful Double Hernia Surgery in Brasilia
This image shows the DF Star Hospital, where former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was due to undergo surgery for a hernia. / Credit: Evaristo Sa /AFP via Getty Images
Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro underwent a successful double hernia operation on Thursday in Brasilia, his family said. The procedure lasted about three and a half hours and was completed without complications, according to an Instagram post from his wife, Michelle Bolsonaro.
Bolsonaro has been hospitalized since Wednesday and is serving a 27‑year prison sentence imposed in November after being convicted for his role in an attempted coup following the 2022 election. Federal police doctors evaluated him and determined the surgery was necessary; a court granted permission for him to leave prison for the procedure.
Medical Details and Follow‑Up
Dr. Claudio Birolini described the operation as complex but standardized and expected it to proceed without major problems. Physicians said the hernias had been causing Bolsonaro pain. After the surgery, doctors will consider whether to perform a phrenic nerve block — a procedure that targets the nerve controlling the diaphragm — to treat his recurrent hiccups.
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro at his home in Brasilia, where he was under house arrest at the time, on Sept. 29, 2025. / Credit: Eraldo Peres / AP
Custody, Visitors and Legal Context
Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who oversaw the trial that led to Bolsonaro's conviction, authorized the operation but denied his request for house arrest after discharge. Bolsonaro remains detained at the federal police headquarters in Brasilia, where authorities say his roughly 130‑square‑foot cell includes a bed, private bathroom, air conditioning, a television and a desk. He has no contact with other inmates there; he has unfettered access to his doctors and lawyers, while other visitors require Supreme Court approval. De Moraes temporarily allowed Bolsonaro's sons to visit during the hospital stay.
Political Implications
On Thursday, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, the former president's eldest son, said his father had written a handwritten letter appointing him as the Liberal Party's presidential candidate for next year's election. Flávio previously announced he would challenge President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in that race.
Convictions and Denials
Bolsonaro and several allies were convicted by a panel of Supreme Court justices for attempting to overturn Brazil's democratic order after his 2022 election defeat. Prosecutors said the plot included schemes to target President Lula, Vice President Geraldo Alckmin and Justice Alexandre de Moraes and to foment an insurrection in early 2023. Bolsonaro has denied wrongdoing.
