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Pope Francis surgery over with 'no complications' — Vatican

June 7, 2023

The Vatican said the pontiff's abdominal surgery lasted three hours. Francis is still scheduled to travel to Portugal in August for World Youth Day events.

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Front view of Rome's Gemelli hospital
Pope Francis has been admitted to Rome's Gemelli hospital for abdominal surgeryImage: Tiziana Fabi/AFP/Getty Images

Pope Francis has concluded an abdominal surgery "without complications," the Vatican said on Wednesday.

Francis, who is 86, was put under general anesthesia at Rome's Gemelli hospital, for a surgery that lasted for three hours. He is due to be kept in hospital for several days.

"The operation is over, it went without complications and lasted three hours," the Vatican press office said in a short statement on Telegram. It added that all papal audiences until June 18 have been canceled.

The Vatican had said earlier that the treatment for "recurrent, painful and worsening" intestinal constriction would entail a "laparotomy and abdominal wall plastic surgery with prosthesis."

The procedure is conducted by inserting surgical instruments through the abdominal cavity.

"The stay at the health facility will last several days to allow for the normal postoperative course and full functional recovery," it said.

Earlier on Wednesday, Pope Francis held an audience in St. Peter's Square in Vatican City and also attended two meetings.

Pope Francis sitting in chair during audience in Saint Peter's Square, Vatican
The pontiff held an audience in Saint Peter's square shortly before he was taken to hospital for surgeryImage: Ettore Ferrari/ANSA/picture alliance

What else do we know about Pope Francis' health?

The operation on Wednesday comes after Francis had 33 centimeters (13 inches) of his large intestine removed a little under two years ago. He was hospitalized for 10 days for the operation in 2021, which treated a painful bowel condition called diverticulitis.

The Pope said early in 2023 that the condition had returned.

In March, Francis was hospitalized after he developed a respiratory infection.

On Tuesday, the Vatican said that the pontiff had gone to hospital for medical tests that lasted 40 minutes.

Francis had part of one lung removed in his youth and also suffers from sciatica nerve pain. He has been using a wheelchair and a walker for over a year due to knee pain.

Also on Tuesday, the Vatican released the itinerary for Francis' trip to Portugal on August 2-6 for World Youth Day events.

sdi/kb (AP, AFP, Reuters, dpa)