ROME (AP) — Pope Francis successfully underwent surgery Wednesday to remove scar tissue in the intestine and repair a hernia in his stomach wall, the latest ailment. which happens to the 86-year-old pontiff who had part of his colon removed two years ago.
The Vatican said there were no complications during the three-hour operation, which required Francis to be put under general anesthesia. The pope is expected to remain in Rome’s Gemelli hospital for several days, and all papal audiences have been canceled until June 18.
Dr. Sergio Alfieri, director of abdominal and endocrine sciences at Gemelli, who also performed Francis’ colon surgery in 2021, said the operation was successful, the pope was awake, alert and still joking.
“When do we do the third one?” he quoted Francis as saying.
During the operation, the doctors removed the adhesions, or internal scarring, of the intestine that caused the partial blockage, as well as the pain in recent months. Alfieri revealed that Francis had undergone undisclosed abdominal surgery before 2013 in Argentina, which also left a scar.
To repair the hernia that formed in the previous scar, a prosthetic mesh is placed on the abdominal wall, Alfieri said. He added that the father had no other pathologies, that the tissue removed was benign and that after he recovers, he should be fine.
Hernia surgeries are rarely performed on an emergency basis, and Alfieri said the surgery was planned. While not announced publicly, this appears to be timed so that Francis has enough time for recovery ahead of a busy travel schedule after the summer.
At three hours, the pope’s procedure was longer than the typical 60 to 90 minutes doctors say hernia surgery usually takes, but Alfieri noted that scar tissue from previous surgeries was completely removed.
Spending hours under anesthesia, combined with being on a ventilator for a long time – for someone who lost part of a lung at a young age – could put the pontiff at risk of breathing complications or a longer than expected recovery time.
Francis remains in charge of the Vatican and the 1.3-billion strong Catholic Church, even while unconscious and in hospital, according to canon law.
In July 2021, Francis spent 10 days to Gemelli to remove 33 centimeters (13 inches) of his colon. In an interview with The Associated Press in January, Francis said that the diverticulosis, or bulges in his intestinal wall, that prompted the operation returned.
After the operation, Francis complained that he did not respond well to the general anesthetic that was used for a longer than expected procedure. That reaction partly explains his refusal to undergo surgery to repair weakened knee ligaments that have forced him to use a wheelchair and walker for more than a year.
However, Alfieri said Francis had no adverse reactions to the anesthesia in 2021 or Wednesday.
“Obviously no one likes to be operated on and put to sleep because once we’re put down, we lose consciousness,” he said at an evening news conference at the hospital with a Vatican spokesman at his side. “But there was no physiological problem two years ago or now.”
Dr. Manish Chand, a professor of surgery at University College London who specializes in colorectal surgery, said the operation itself is usually straightforward – but it does require general anaesthesia. He said the biggest issue afterward was managing the pain and making sure the wound healed.
“For the first six weeks after this type of surgery, you’re at risk of relapse,” he said. To avoid that, patients are advised not to do anything strenuous.
Dr. Robin Phillips, an emeritus professor of colorectal surgery at Imperial College London, points out that abdominal surgery can also compromise lung function.
The Argentine dad had part of a lung removed when he was young. In late March, Francis spent three days in Gemelli for bronchitis and treated with intravenous antibiotics. He came out on April 1 saying “Still alive!”
“I suspect they’re doing it now because they’re worried it could be more complicated and result in an emergency operation, which would carry more risk than leaving it alone or operating now,” Phillips said. .
After celebrating his weekly general audience Wednesday, the pope was driven in his Fiat 500 from the Vatican shortly after 11 am and arrived at Gemelli about 20 minutes later, accompanied by the police.
“The stay in the health facility will last several days to allow for a normal post-operative course and full functional recovery,” the Vatican said in a statement.
The pope appeared in good form on Wednesday morning to his audience in St. He also had two meetings before, the Vatican said.
Francis has a busy schedule of late, with many audiences every day. The Vatican recently confirmed a travel-packed August, when the Holy See and Italy are usually on vacation, with a four-day visit to Portugal in the first week of August and a similarly long trip to Mongolia. starting August 31.
In a sign that the trips are still underway, the Vatican on Tuesday released the planned itinerary for Francis’ visit to Portugal for World Youth Day activities from August 2 to August 6. The busy schedule includes all protocol meetings with an official state visit and many events with young people and a day trip to the Marian shrine of Fatima.
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Cheng reports from London.