Pope Francis Successfully Undergoes Surgery to Remove Intestinal Scar Tissue and Repair Hernia

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis underwent successful surgery Wednesday to remove intestinal scar tissue and repair an abdominal wall hernia, the latest ailment. 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 surgery, which required Francis to be under general anesthesia. The pope was expected to remain at the Gemelli Hospital in Rome for several days and all papal masses were canceled until June 18.

Dr. Sergio Alfieri, Gemelli’s director of Abdominal Sciences and Endocrinology, who also performed Francis’ colon surgery in 2021, said the operation was a success. Soon after, the Pope was awake, alert and even joking.

“When are we going to do the third?” Francis was quoted as saying.

During the operation, doctors removed internal adhesions or scars in her intestines that had caused her partial obstruction, in addition to the pain of the past few months. Alfieri revealed that Francis had had previously undisclosed abdominal surgeries sometime before 2013 in Argentina, which also left him with scars.

To repair a hernia that had formed over a previous scar, Alfieri said, synthetic mesh was placed in the abdominal wall. He added that the Pope did not suffer from any other illness, that the removed tissue was benign and that after he recovers, he should be fine.

No hideous bulge or distention was found in the intestine through the hernia tear.

said Dr. Walter Longo, chief of colorectal surgery at Yale University School of Medicine, who was not involved in the surgery and commented after consulting the Vatican’s statement on the procedure.

Hernia operations are rarely performed in emergency situations, and Alfieri said the surgery was planned. Although not publicly announced, it appeared to be scheduled to give Francis plenty of time to recover before a busy travel schedule later this summer.

At three hours, Pope’s operation was much longer than the standard 60 to 90 minutes that doctors say a hernia operation usually takes, but Alfieri noted that scar tissue from previous surgeries was completely removed.

Spending more time under anesthesia, as well as being on a ventilator for too long, in someone who lost part of a lung as a young man, could put the pope at risk of respiratory complications or a longer-than-expected recovery period, according to The experts. saying.

Francis stayed in power From the Vatican and the Catholic Church of 1.3 billion people, even while unconscious and in the hospital, according to canon law.

In July 2021, Francisco spent 10 days at Gemelli to remove 13 inches (33 cm) of her large intestine. In an interview with the Associated Press In January, Francis said it was the diverticulum, or bulges in the wall of the intestine, that delayed surgery.

After that surgery, Francis regretted that he had not responded well to general anesthesia. This reaction partly explains his refusal to undergo knee ligament repair surgery that forced him to use a wheelchair and walker for more than a year.

However, Alfieri said that Francis did not have any adverse reactions to anesthesia in 2021 or on Wednesday.

“It is clear that nobody likes to have an operation and sleep because the moment we are submerged in the water we lose consciousness,” he told an evening news conference at the hospital, with the Vatican spokesman at his side. “But there was no physiological problem two years ago or today.”

Dr Manish Chand, a professor of surgery at University College London who specializes in colorectal surgery, said the biggest problem after that would be managing pain and making sure the wound healed properly.

“In the first six weeks after this type of surgery, you run the risk of it happening again,” he said. To avoid this, patients are advised not to do anything strenuous.

Dr. Robin Phillips, emeritus professor of colorectal surgery at Imperial College London, noted that abdominal surgery can also impair lung function.

The Argentine pope had part of his lung removed when he was young. At the end of March, Francisco spent three days in Gemelli due to bronchitis. He was treated with intravenous antibiotics. He appeared on April 1 saying “I’m still alive!”

“I suspect they’re doing it now because they’re worried it could get more complicated and result in an emergency operation, which would be more risky than leaving him alone or working now,” Phillips said.

After holding his weekly general audience on Wednesday, the pope was driven in his Fiat 500 from the Vatican shortly after 11 a.m. and arrived in Gemelli some 20 minutes later, escorted by police.

“The stay in the health center will last several days to allow a normal postoperative cycle and a full functional recovery,” the Vatican said in a statement.

The pope had made a well-rounded appearance Wednesday morning before his audience in St. Peter’s Square, zipping around the square in his shopping cart to greet the faithful. The Vatican said that he, too, had held two meetings before that.

Francis has had a busy schedule of late, with multiple hearings each day. The Vatican recently confirmed that August is a month full of travel, when the Holy See and Italy are often on vacation. He is making a four-day visit to Portugal scheduled for the first week of August and an equally long trip to Mongolia starting on the 31st.

In a sign that the flights are still on, the Vatican on Tuesday released the planned itinerary for Francis’ visit to Portugal for World Youth Day events from Aug. 2-6. He also visits multiple events with young people and a day trip to the Marian Sanctuary of Fatima.

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Cheng reported from London.