Pope Francis, 86, will undergo surgery on his abdominal wall on Wednesday. The information is confirmed by the Vatican. The surgery will be performed at the Gemelli Hospital in Rome. The surgery is the latest in a series of health concerns for the leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, who has held the papacy for 10 years. He arrived by car at the biggest hospital in Rome, which is close to the Vatican, around 11:30 am local time (6:30 am in Brasilia). Francis made no mention of the planned operation at his weekly Vatican audience this morning, where he appeared to be in good spirits. According to the Vatican statement, the medical team decided in recent days that “a laparotomy and plastic surgery under general anesthesia of the abdominal wall with implants” was necessary. The Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church must be hospitalized for a few days, in recovery. Pope Francis will undergo surgery this afternoon. “The operation, scheduled in recent days by the medical team that assists the Holy Father, has become necessary due to an incarcerated incisional hernia that is causing recurrent, painful and aggravated sub-occlusive syndromes. allow for a normal postoperative course and full functional recovery”. On Tuesday, Francisco spent about 40 minutes in the same hospital, having pre-operative procedures. Medical background Francisco was treated for five days at the same hospital in late March for a lung infection, and last month he missed hearings for a day due to a fever. The hospital has a special suite on the 10th floor reserved for popes. In July 2021, he had part of his colon removed in an operation to treat diverticulitis – a painful intestinal condition. Earlier this year, he even said that the disease had returned. The pope also frequently uses a wheelchair or a cane to get around due to persistent pain in his knee. Last year, he didn’t want to operate on his knee because general anesthesia for colon surgery had unpleasant side effects. Travel Schedule Despite his health issues, Francis maintains a busy schedule. On Saturday (3), the Vatican announced plans for a visit to Mongolia, from August 31 to September 4, one of the most remote places he has ever traveled. Before that, he must visit Portugal from the 2nd to the 6th of August to participate in the World Youth Day in Lisbon and visit the Sanctuary of Fátima. On Tuesday, the Vatican released an official schedule for the trip, implying that it was confirmed. Extended story at 8:58 am *With information from Reuters and RTP
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