
Pope Francis went to a hospital in Rome Wednesday for belly surgical procedure. He is seen right here within the popemobile, leaving his normal viewers at St. Peter’s Sq. in The Vatican earlier than heading to the hospital.
Andreas Solaro/AFP through Getty Pictures
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Andreas Solaro/AFP through Getty Pictures

Pope Francis went to a hospital in Rome Wednesday for belly surgical procedure. He is seen right here within the popemobile, leaving his normal viewers at St. Peter’s Sq. in The Vatican earlier than heading to the hospital.
Andreas Solaro/AFP through Getty Pictures
Pope Francis is present process belly surgical procedure Wednesday afternoon, after being admitted to A. Gemelli College Hospital in Rome, in keeping with the Vatican. He’s anticipated to stay within the hospital for a number of days as he recovers.
Francis, 86, recently celebrated 10 years of main Catholics around the globe.
The pope will endure “a laparotomy and belly wall surgical procedure underneath normal anesthesia,” in keeping with Vatican News, the Holy See’s official information portal. Laparotomy is a time period that refers to open belly surgical procedure.
Francis adopted his regular Wednesday routine earlier than heading to the hospital, together with holding a normal viewers at St. Peter’s Sq. within the Vatican, the place he addressed a big crowd. The pope used a cane to stroll throughout components of that look, however he additionally used a wheelchair because the occasion got here to an finish, greeting admirers and the trustworthy as he was taken to the popemobile.
The choice to function was made after the pope complained of belly ache and was examined by his medical group and docs at Gemelli Hospital, which Francis visited on Tuesday.
Surgical procedure was deemed vital “because of an incisional laparocele (hernia) that’s inflicting recurrent, painful and worsening sub-occlusive syndromes,” the Vatican’s information workplace mentioned.
An incisional laparocele is a kind of hernia, a reasonably frequent complication affecting scar tissue after belly surgical procedure. The time period subocclusive syndrome refers to intestinal blockage.
Francis is present process the process almost two years after he had belly surgical procedure to remove half of his colon. That therapy resulted in a 10-day hospital keep for the pope, who later recognized the usage of normal anesthesia as a supply of discomfort for him.
Wednesday’s surgical procedure additionally entails normal anesthesia; the Vatican says Francis is anticipated to stay within the hospital for a number of days.
The pope spent 4 days in Gemelli Hospital earlier this spring, when he was treated for respiratory problems stemming from bronchitis.
Francis’ newest hospital keep comes about one month earlier than he is scheduled to journey to Portugal for a five-day go to to commemorate World Youth Day.