Pope Francis woke up Thursday after spending his first night in hospital following a three-hour operation to remove scar tissue in his intestines and repair a hernia in the abdominal wall, problems that developed after previous surgeries.
“The night went well,” Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said in a statement early Thursday, adding that more news would be released at a later date.
The director of the Department of Internal Medicine and Endocrinology at Gemelli Hospital in Rome, Sergio Alfieri, said that Wednesday’s surgery was successful and did not reveal any complications or other diseases.
Alfieri, who removed part of Francis’ colon in 2021, told the evening news conference that the pope was awake, alert and even joking.
Francis was quoted as saying, “When are we going to have the third surgery?”
The doctor’s etiquette with his patient
The pope is expected to stay in the 10th-floor papal suite in Gemelli for several days, and all audiences have been canceled until June 18. It is also expected that the Vatican will publish the latest news of his health later on Thursday.
The surgery was scheduled after Francis complained of increasing bouts of pain and bowel obstruction.
After entering Gemelli on Tuesday for check-ups, Francis returned to the hospital on Wednesday after his weekly meeting, and was operated on shortly thereafter.
2023-06-08 07:25:03
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