Following a three-hour procedure on Wednesday to remove intestinal scar tissue and fix a hernia in his abdominal wall, issues that manifested after earlier operations, Pope Francis was in the hospital on Thursday.
All papal audiences were postponed through June 18 as the pontiff was anticipated to spend several days in the 10th floor papal suite at Rome’s Gemelli hospital. A medical update from the Vatican was anticipated later on Thursday.
Early on Thursday, Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni delivered a statement in which he claimed, “The night went smoothly.
At Rome’s Gemelli hospital, Dr. Sergio Alfieri, director of abdominal and endocrine sciences, reported that the procedure on Wednesday went smoothly and no difficulties or further pathologies were found. Francis was awake, alert, and even joking, according to Alfieri, who also had part of his colon removed in 2021.
“When will we do the third one?” he quoted Francis as saying.
Francis complained of growing bouts of pain and intestinal obstructions, and the surgery was scheduled as a result. Francis was hospitalised on Wednesday after his public audience and underwent the procedure a little while later after visiting Gemelli on Tuesday for inspections.
Francis’s surgery was most likely scheduled now to give him ample of recovery time before his planned trips later this summer, which include trips to Mongolia from August 31 to September 4 and to Portugal from August 2 to 6 for World Youth Day.
The biggest problem moving ahead, according to Dr. Manish Chand, a professor of surgery at University College London who specializes in colorectal surgery, would be pain management and ensuring that the incision heals properly.
“In the first six weeks after this type of surgery, you’re at risk of getting a recurrence again,” he said. To avoid that, patients are advised not to do anything strenuous.