ROME (CNS): Pope Francis was conscious and alert after a three-hour abdominal surgery that was performed “without complications” to treat a hernia, the Vatican said on June 8.
Dr. Sergio Alfieri, the chief surgeon operating on the pope, said that shortly after the surgery Pope Francis was already working and making jokes, and had asked the him in jest: “When are we doing the third [surgery]?”
The 86-year-old pope was taken to Rome’s Gemelli hospital shortly after his general audience on June 7. He was put under general anesthesia and underwent abdominal surgery to treat a hernia that developed at the site of abdominal incisions from previous operations, Alfieri said at a news conference at the hospital following the operation.
Alfieri explained that Pope Francis had a number of internal scars and adhesions from two operations many years ago—possibly in Argentina. One was to treat peritonitis—inflammation of abdominal tissue—caused by an infected gallbladder and another to treat hydatid disease caused by cysts containing a parasite. It was this last operation that had left behind scars in the pope’s abdominal tissue where another hernia had developed.
Alfieri said that during the three-hour operation adhesions were found between the intestine and the membrane that lines the abdomen that for months caused an “aggravating, painful” intestinal blockage.
The adhesions were freed during the surgery and the opening in the abdomen’s wall that led to the hernia was repaired with prosthetic mesh.
Alfieri, who also operated on the pope in 2021, said the pope had no complications and responded well to the general anesthesia he was administered during this surgery and the one in 2021 that removed part of his colon.
The chief surgeon underscored that, in both operations, all affected tissue had been benign.
“The pope does not have other illnesses,” he said.
Alfieri explained that while the medical team that follows the pope had been discussing the scheduled operation for several days, the final decision to operate was not taken until June 6, when Pope Francis briefly visited the hospital for a medical checkup and tests.
“It was not urgent,” he said, “or else we would have operated on him then.”
Before going to the hospital the pope seemed well and in good spirits, holding his general audience as usual, riding in the popemobile, blessing babies, walking with a cane and meeting special guests afterward. He had held two private meetings before the general audience in St. Peter’s Square.
While Alfieri said recovery for this operation typically lasts about seven days. Vatican News reported that the pope’s audiences have been cancelled until June 18 as a “precaution.”
Pope Francis was scheduled to meet with 29 Nobel Peace Prize winners at the Vatican on June 10 for an event to celebrate human fraternity. Before going to the hospital, the pope encouraged its organisers to continue with the event as planned, a statement from the foundation organising the event said.
This was Pope Francis’ third hospitalisation at the Gemelli hospital, the most recent was from March 29 to April 1 when he was admitted for an acute respiratory infection.
