Topline
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was hospitalized early Monday with abdominal pain which his medical team reportedly suspects might be an intestinal obstruction, a condition that is likely linked to a stab wound he received from an attack during his 2018 presidential campaign.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro delivers a speech during the appointment ceremony of the new … [+]
Key Facts
According to Brazilian outlet UOL, Bolsonaro was immediately taken to a hospital in Sao Paolo after he landed in the city early on Monday onboard a Brazilian Air Force plane.
The Brazilian leader reportedly had to cut short his New Year vacation in the coastal state of Santa Catarina.
Surgeon Antônio Luiz Macedo, who operated on Bolsonaro after his stabbing incident, will fly to Sao Paolo from the Bahamas on Monday to treat the Brazilian president, the report adds.
Bolsonaro’s condition is still being assessed by doctors and it is unclear if surgery will be necessary to treat him.
Crucial Quote
Macedo suspects Bolsonaro’s issue could be an “intestinal sub-occlusion.” He said: “He will have a CT scan and more tests to find out what is in his abdomen. We don’t know it yet, but the condition could have been caused, for example, by poorly chewed food, among other factors.”
Key Background
The Brazilian leader has been hospitalized several times since his stabbing in 2018. In July last year, Bolsonaro was taken to the same hospital in Sao Paolo after an interstitial blockage caused chronic hiccups. He stayed in the hospital for four days but did not have to undergo surgery as his intestines returned to normal functioning. Prior to that, he underwent at least four surgical interventions due to complications caused by the stab wound.
Further Reading
Brazil’s Bolsonaro taken to hospital with abdominal pain, doctor says (Reuters)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2022/01/03/brazilian-president-bolsonaro-taken-to-hospital-with-suspected-intestinal-obstruction-doctor-says/