The Vatican says Pope Francis has had a second good night in the hospital recovering from surgery to remove intestinal scar tissue and repair a hernia in his abdominal wall
FILE – In this file photo dated Sunday, July 11, 2021, Pope Francis appears on a balcony of the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome. Pope Francis went to the hospital Wednesday, June 7, 2023, to undergo abdominal surgery to treat an intestinal blockage, two years after he had his colon removed 33 centimeters (13 inches) because of inflammation and narrowing of the large intestine. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, FILE)
The Associated Press
ROME — Pope Francis had a second good night in the hospital recovering from surgery to remove intestinal scar tissue and repair a hernia in his abdominal wall, the Vatican said.
The Holy See press office said early Friday that further medical updates were expected later in the day. The Vatican has said Francis’ condition is stable and his post-operative recovery deemed normal.
The 86-year-old Francis was admitted to the Gemelli hospital on Wednesday for his second major abdominal operation in two years, following a 2021 procedure to remove part of his colon. During the procedure, doctors removed adhesions, or internal scarring, on the intestine that had caused a partial blockage. They also repaired a hernia that had formed over a previous scar, placing a prosthetic mesh in the abdominal wall.
Francis is expected to remain at Gemelli for several days.
