Ex-president Bolsonaro seen learning to walk again after stabbing that nearly killed him

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro shared footage of his recovery at a hospital after undergoing bowel surgery.

The controversial far-right leader, 70, was filmed walking with the help of a walker at DF Star Hospital in Brasilia on Tuesday.

Bolsonaro seemed to be in good spirits as he pushed the walker and then placed his hands on the back of two physicians for support as he took several steps.

Bolsonaro remains under observation in the intensive care after undergoing a grueling 12-hour intestinal surgery Sunday.

The surgical team removed intestinal adhesions and reconstructed a section of his abdominal wall.

Bolsonaro said in a statement posted on X that the first 48 hours were critical for his recovery to the most invasive operation he has had since surviving an assassination attempt on September 6, 2018.

This is the period in which the organs that were manipulated during the procedure lasting more than 12 hours begin to deflate, allowing us to observe the first signs of a real situation, he said.

I remain focused on the recovery process, which from what I understand was the most invasive procedure that took place, seeking strength to get out of bed once again.

In a statement Tuesday, the former presidents team of doctors recommend that Bolsonaro should not receive any visitors and did not provide a date for him to be discharged. 

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro shared a video of his recovery on social media Tuesday. Bolsonaro had surgery Sunday to remove intestinal adhesions and had his abdominal wall reconstructed

Pictured: Bolsonaro gesturing moments after he was stabbed at a presidential campaign rally on September 6, 2018

Doctors noticed during the operation that there was a fold in the small intestine.

Dr Leandro Echenique, the team cardiologist, said the surgery was a very complex procedure.

In post-operative care, when there is a very prolonged procedure like this, the patients body ends up having a very significant inflammatory response, it becomes very inflamed, Echenique said, as quoted by Brazilian news outlet G1.

This can lead to a series of complications. It increases the risk of some infections, of needing medication to control blood pressure. There is an increased risk of thrombosis, blood clotting problems. We end up taking specific care of the lungs ... All preventive measures will be taken, which is why he is in the ICU at the moment.

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro described the 12-hour operation he had Sunday as the most invasive procedure that took place since he was stabbed in 2018

Bolsonaro fell sick at a party Friday and was admitted to a hospital in Santa Cruz, Rio Grande do Norte and diagnosed with intestinal subocclusion, which includes the inability to pass stool.

Bolsonaro has been hospitalized several times and undergone seven surgeries since the stabbing incident ahead of the South American nations presidential election in 2018.

He fell sick at a party Friday and was admitted to a hospital in Santa Cruz, Rio Grande do Norte and diagnosed with intestinal subocclusion, which includes the inability to pass stools. 

He was transferred to a hospital in Natal, the capital of Rio Grande do Norte, and on Saturday was airlifted to Brasilia.

Bolsonaro had been preparing for a trip across the northeast to promote his Liberal Partys right-wing agenda, eyeing next years presidential election, though he himself is barred from running.

The region traditionally has been a political stronghold of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Bolsonaro is expected to stand trial in the coming months at Brazils Supreme Court over claims that he tried to stage a coup in January 2023 when supporters stormed the countrys federal buildings in Brasilia.