ROME (Reuters) – Pope Francis spent another peaceful night in hospital, the Vatican said on Friday, two days after the pontiff underwent abdominal surgery which doctors said went as planned.
“Last night also went well. More information during the day,” the Vatican press office said in a brief statement.
Francis underwent a three-hour operation on Wednesday to repair a hernia, which doctors say was effective enough that he was not restricted in his movements and other activities after his recovery.
This is the third hospital stay for Francis since cardinals chose the Argentinian in 2013 as the first Latin American pope, and it’s the latest in a series of health problems for him.
In July 2021, he had part of his colon removed in an operation to treat a painful bowel condition called diverticulitis. He said earlier this year the condition had returned and was affecting his weight.
Dr. Sergio Alfieri, the chief surgeon who operated on the pope at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, said Wednesday that Francis responded well to general anesthesia and expected the pontiff to be hospitalized for about five to seven days.
But speaking to reporters after the operation, Alfieri warned that while the pope was strong, he was also elderly and had recently had bronchitis, so “we will take all necessary precautions” regarding the length of stay at the hospital. hospital.
Francis has two trips planned this summer, to Portugal from August 2-6 to attend World Youth Day and visit the Shrine of Fatima, and to Mongolia from August 31-September 31. 4.
(Reporting by Alvise Armellini, editing by Giselda Vagnoni and Hugh Lawson)