Image: X.com
Pope Leo XIV under went successful surgery to remove the lower lobe of his right lung on Tuesday after an examination confirmed he had lung cancer.Tests confirmed a diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, the Vatican said in a medical bulletin after the surgery.
It said the diagnosis had been suspected based on preoperative tests and was confirmed during surgery.“The operation was successful, and there were no complications,” the Holy See Press Office said.The Vatican said doctors were not currently considering chemotherapy or other therapies pending the results of further tests. The Vatican press office noted that the medical statement's reference to the “radical” removal of the lobe indicated that doctors had removed all suspected tissue in the hope of eliminating any remaining traces of the cancer.The surgery took place at Rome's Gemelli Hospital and lasted around 90 minutes, according to the Holy See Press Office. The Pope spent approximately three hours in the operating room.Doctors used a video-assisted surgical technique to remove the affected portion of the lung. An examination of the tissue during the procedure confirmed the diagnosis, which had been suspected based on preoperative tests.Pope Leo awoke normally after the operation and returned to his room on the hospital's 10th floor following a brief period of observation, Vatican News reported.
The surgical team was led by Professor Stefano Margaritora, assisted by Professor Elisa Meacci, Dr Maria Teresa Congedo and Dr Leonardo Petracca Ciavarella. Professor Massimo Antonelli, Dr Giovanni Punzo and Dr Giuseppe Bello were part of the anaesthesia team.Further tests on the removed tissue are expected in the coming days. Doctors had conducted preoperative examinations to establish the location of the affected tissue and plan the procedure.The Vatican has not announced any change to the Pope's expected hospital stay of one week.Following the surgery, Pope Leo asked for dinner and spent the evening with his secretaries and other Vatican staff, Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See Press Office, said, according to Vatican News.The Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic Hospital in Rome is a major medical centre that has treated several popes over the years.