Lula has hip surgery this Friday and will be hospitalized until next week

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) will undergo hip surgery this Friday (29) to treat an osteoarthritis condition that has affected him for months. The surgical intervention will be carried out at Hospital Sírio-Libanês, in Brasília, and aims to provide relief from the pain that the president has been feeling.

The president is expected to be admitted to the hospital this morning, but Palácio do Planalto did not disclose the exact time of the operation or the estimated duration. After the surgery, Lula must remain at the Palácio da Alvorada, the official residence of the Presidency of the Republic, for at least three weeks. Furthermore, he will be unable to travel for four to six weeks.

After the surgery, Lula will remain in the hospital until Tuesday (3), when he should be released to return to his home. He will continue physical therapy sessions as part of the recovery process.

The preparation process for surgery included two procedures in July, an infiltration and a deneveration, with the aim of relieving pain and preparing Lula for surgery.

Lula plans to resume his international commitments at the end of November, with a trip to the United Arab Emirates to participate in COP 28, before returning to fulfill his agenda in Germany.

Lula’s surgery will involve a total hip replacement, on the right side of his body, to treat osteoarthritis. In this procedure, both the head of the femur and the acetabulum will be replaced with implants, providing relief and mobility to the patient.

Osteoarthritis is a condition characterized by the wear of the cartilage that covers the joint, causing bone friction and inflammation. The effective approach to this condition is surgery, which involves replacing the affected bone with a prosthesis.

The surgery will be carried out by a medical team that includes the president’s personal doctor, Roberto Kalil Filho, the doctor of the Presidency of the Republic, Ana Helena Germoglio, and specialists from the Sírio-Libanês Hospital.

Despite the surgery and recovery, Lula will not hand over the presidency to vice Geraldo Alckmin (PSB). Last Wednesday (27), Alckmin stated that there is no need to transfer the position “because it will be a short period, practically a weekend, and then he will dispatch it at Palácio do Alvorada”.

Disastrous talk about recovery

During the weekly live broadcast last Tuesday (26), the president demonstrated optimism regarding the surgery, emphasizing the importance of treatment and dedication to recovery. Lula also joked, saying that his personal photographer, Ricardo Stuckert, refused to record images of him using a walker or crutches after the operation, guaranteeing that he will always be in good shape.

The statement, however, was not well received among allies and generated immediate repercussions, accusing him of ableism – discrimination against people with disabilities. Among the critics, federal deputy Tabata Amaral (PSB-SP), from vice-president Geraldo Alckmin’s party, said that the speech “goes against the fight for inclusion and respect for thousands of people with disabilities who use accessibility equipment” .

Digital influencer Ivan Baron, a campaigner for the cause of people with disabilities and who climbed the Planalto Palace ramp with Lula on the day of the inauguration, said that the “error” could not go unnoticed.