Brazil’s imprisoned former president, Jair Bolsonaro, has undergone a second urgent medical procedure in less than 72 hours, battling a bout of intractable hiccups that doctors warn could compromise his breathing.

While hiccups are often trivialized, for the 70-year-old former leader, they represent a severe complication. The procedure highlights the deteriorating health of the man who once commanded Latin America's largest economy, now confined to a hospital bed while serving a lengthy prison term.

Medical Intervention in Detention

Doctors at the prison medical facility performed a "phrenic nerve block" on Monday, targeting the left side of Bolsonaro's neck. This delicate intervention involves anaesthetizing the nerve that controls the diaphragm—the primary muscle responsible for breathing.

Dr. Claudio Birolini, leading the medical team, confirmed that the former president’s condition is "stable" following the procedure. This intervention mirrors a similar operation performed on Bolsonaro's right phrenic nerve just two days prior, on Saturday.

The medical team is managing a complex timeline for the incarcerated leader:

• Saturday: First nerve block performed on the right side; doctors reported it "went well."
• Monday: Recurrence of symptoms necessitated a second block on the left nerve.
• Wednesday (Jan 1): Tentative discharge date, contingent on recovery.

A History of Health Struggles

This latest hospitalization is part of a long sequence of abdominal and respiratory issues plaguing Bolsonaro since his stabbing on the campaign trail in 2018. Dr. Birolini noted that he does not "believe the hospitalization will be prolonged much longer," though the recurrence of symptoms raises questions about his long-term resilience behind bars.

The context of his confinement adds weight to these medical reports. Bolsonaro is currently serving a 27-year sentence, a punishment handed down after he was convicted of plotting a coup to overturn the 2022 election results. For observers, the image of the once-defiant "Captain" now relying on nerve blocks to breathe serves as a stark symbol of his fall from power.

While his medical team remains optimistic about a January 1 discharge, the persistence of such symptoms in geriatric patients often signals underlying stress or neurological fatigue. As it stands, the man who once polarized a nation is now fighting a much quieter, internal battle.