Bolsonaro to remain in ICU after surgery

Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro’s post-operative period should be delicate and prolonged, a report released Monday (Apr. 14) by his medical team says. Bolsonaro underwent a 12-hour surgery on Sunday (13) and is still in the intensive care unit (ICU) of Brasília’s DF Star Hospital, with no expected discharge date disclosed.

At a press conference, cardiologist Dr. Leandro Echenique, who has been accompanying Bolsonaro since he was stabbed in 2018, noted that this was the seventh surgery he has undergone since the incident. 

“The final outcome was excellent. Of course, a 12-hour-long procedure entails some really specific post-operative care on the clinical side,” he stated.

Despite the long hours in the operating room, there were no complications during the surgery, Dr. Hechenique said.

“It transpired as expected,” he remarked, noting that when a patient undergoes a prolonged procedure, their body “becomes really inflamed and this can happen in the post-operative period. It’s common; it’s normal,” he added.

Among the complications that can still arise over the next few days, he said, are an increased risk of infections and blood pressure issues, as the vessels dilate due to the inflammation. There is also a higher risk of thrombosis and other blood clotting problems.

“All preventive measures will now be taken. That’s why he’s in the ICU,” said Dr. Echenique.

During the press conference, Dr. Cláudio Birolini, who led the team that performed the surgery, explained that the former president had already been suffering from abdominal distension and persistent discomfort, and that health professionals had observed a rise in inflammatory markers, which led to the recommendation of surgical treatment.

“These first 48 hours are critical. We have to stay alert. After that, we enter another post-operative phase, which is a little easier, but I can tell you I don’t have high expectations of a rapid evolution. We need to let the intestine rest, deflate, resume its activity, and only then can we think about oral feeding and resuming other activities,” he declared.

Bolsonaro is being fed through an intravenous tube.

“The former president has an intense schedule and it’s difficult to hold him down. I’ll try to do it for as long as possible, but he has his own pace,” said Dr. Birolini, noting that the medical team’s goal is to see the former president return to a normal life, without restrictions.