The Vatican said Pope Francis was doing well on Thursday morning after his first night in hospital after abdominal surgery. “The night went well,” the Vatican stated in a brief statement, adding that additional details will be published later in the morning.
Francis, 86, had a three-hour surgery in Rome on Wednesday to repair a hernia, which doctors said should not hinder his trips or other activities. The pope’s surgeon, Sergio Alfieri, said Francis had responded well to general anesthesia and expected him to be in the hospital for 5-7 days.
Alfieri told reporters following the operation that the pope was robust but older and had bronchitis, so “we will take all necessary precautions” about the hospital stay. Francis will visit Portugal Aug. 2-6 for World Youth Day and the Shrine of Fatima, then Mongolia Aug. 31-Sept. 4, one of his most distant destinations.
He expected the pontiff to be in hospital for about 5-7 days
Alfieri said he saw no medical reason for the pope to adjust his itinerary if the rehabilitation went smoothly, as the surgeon predicted. As a precaution, the Vatican canceled the pope’s private and general audiences until June 18.
Francis said the Sunday prayer from a balcony on the Catholic-run hospital’s 10th level, which includes a suite for popes, in 2021. Laparocele, a hernia that grows over scars from earlier procedures, required the surgery, according to doctors. Overweight and abdominal muscular weakness can cause it, which is more frequent in older adults.
Alfieri claimed the pope’s health was generating painful intestinal occlusions that were increasing. Fancis had laparotomy and abdominal wall reconstruction with a mesh prosthesis.
He had a diverticulitis-related colon surgery in July 2021. The issue reappeared early this year, hurting his weight. Francis’ third hospitalization since cardinals elected him the first Latin American pope in 2013. The latest health issue in recent years.
