Pope stays overnight in the hospital following surgery

Pope Francis, 86, had a successful first night in the hospital following a three-hour procedure to repair a bothersome hernia in a Rome hospital, the Vatican announced on Thursday.

The press office issued a brief statement stating that “the night went well” and promising to release more information later.

The abdominal surgery at the Gemelli hospital was alleged to have left the Argentine pontiff awake and joking with his medical staff on Wednesday.

Doctor Sergio Alfieri informed reporters on Wednesday that the pope, who underwent colon surgery in 2021, has an incisional hernia at the location of a scar from a prior operation.

According to Alfieri, the abdominal wall was reconstructed with surgical mesh while he was under general anesthesia.

For the Pope’s recovery, all papal audiences have been postponed until June 18.

The pope would spend “a few days” in the hospital, according to the Vatican, and the surgeon who operated on him, Alfieri, declined to provide any details.

He claimed that although the pope’s age and illness in March, when he was hospitalized with a lung infection, may impair his recovery time, this type of operation typically requires a stay of between five and seven days.

Francis, who has presided over the 1.3 billion Catholics around the world for ten years, has been hospitalized more frequently in recent months, which has raised concerns and fueled rumors about his future in office.

Benedict XVI, Francis’ predecessor who passed away in December, resigned in 2013 owing to deteriorating health.