Pope Francis spent a quiet night in
Rome's Gemelli Hospital after surgery to repair a painful
abdominal hernia formed over the scar left by a colon operation
two years ago, the Vatican said Thursday.
"The night passed well, more information at the end of the
morning", the Vatican Press Office said.
Francis was in good spirits when he work up after the three-hour
procedure Wednesday evening asking the surgeon "when are we
going to do the third one?"
The Argentine pontiff, 86, who was in the Gemelli with
bornchitis earlier this year for a few days, underwent
three-hour bowel surgery under general anaesthesia, "without
complications", by a team led by Professor Sergio Alfieri, the
same surgeon who operated on him in July 2021.
The post-operative course is proceeding as planned, Vatican
sources said.
The pope is expected to spend several days in the Gemelli and as
a precautionary measure, all of his audiences have been
suspended until 18 June.
"The holy father is well, awake and alert," said Alfieriaftre
the operation, after heading the team that intervened to resolve
an abdominal laparocele or hernia.
"He has already told me his first one-liner," the surgeon added,
saying Francis was in good spirits.
Alfieri stressed that the pontiff, who has had a number of minor
but irksome health problems in recent years, has no other
diseases.
"The surgery two years ago was for a benign pathology, the
diverticular stenosis is benign, the pathology for which he was
operated on today is benign and will leave no trace," said
Alfieri.
"The hospital stay will be between five and seven days, he is 86
years old and has already undergone four operations.
"Give us a few days.
"He is being looked after by his assistant these days, it's not
an emergency situation," added Alfieri.
"The whole Italian people is with you", President Sergio
Mattarella told Francis in a message sent from Paris while the
pontiff was undergoing the surgery.
Francis's health has been a matter of debate since he made it
clear that he would be prepared to step down if illness
prevented him from doing his job just like his predecessor
Benedict XVI sensationally did in 2013.
He has been niggled with cataracts, sciatica and a painful right
knee that has forced him to use a wheelchair on many occasions.
After the colon op on July 4, 2021, he acknowledged the
speculation saying "I'm still alive, some prelates wanted me
dead, they were already preparing the conclave (to elect a
successor)".
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