Pope Leo spends a calm night after lung surgery
The Vatican says the Pope had a calm first night in hospital after an operation described as successful.
Update
The Vatican said tests during the operation confirmed that Pope Leo XIV had lung adenocarcinoma, and doctors removed the lower lobe of his right lung. It said the surgery was successful and without complications. (Vatican News)
Pope Leo XIV spent a calm first night at Rome’s Gemelli hospital after surgery on his right lung, the Vatican said on Wednesday. Further information about his condition is expected later in the day.
The update is the first new health information since Tuesday’s operation. The Holy See Press Office said the night passed calmly and that more details would be provided later, without giving a further assessment of the Pope’s recovery.
Doctors removed the lower lobe of the Pope’s right lung during an operation that the Vatican said was completed successfully and without complications. The procedure itself lasted about 90 minutes, although the Pope was in the operating room for approximately three hours.
A medical bulletin issued after the operation said tissue examined during surgery confirmed a diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma. The Vatican said further post-operative examinations of the removed tissue would take place in the coming days.
The Pope woke normally after the procedure and returned to his room at Gemelli, according to the Vatican. He later asked for dinner and spent the evening with his secretaries and other Vatican staff, the Holy See Press Office said.
The Vatican has not announced a treatment plan beyond the operation. The available statements do not establish the extent of the disease, the likely prognosis or whether additional treatment will be recommended.
Leo was initially admitted for the removal of a lung nodule identified during a recent check-up. His public audiences have been suspended until 20 October, and the Vatican has previously indicated that his hospital stay is expected to last about a week.
The Pope’s calm night is a reassuring update on his immediate post-operative condition, but it is not a medical prognosis. More information will depend on the examinations and assessments still under way.
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The article is based on a same-day Vatican update supported by AP and Sky News. It separates confirmed post-operative information from unknown treatment and prognosis.
- confirmed Pope Leo XIV spent a calm first night at Gemelli hospital after surgery. — Holy See Press Office update reproduced by Vatican News. source
- confirmed Doctors removed the lower lobe of the Pope’s right lung and reported no complications. — Vatican medical bulletin as reported by Vatican News. source
- confirmed The operation confirmed lung adenocarcinoma. — Vatican medical bulletin and AP report. source
- confirmed The Vatican has not announced a future treatment plan or prognosis. — The Vatican and AP reports describe pending examinations without announcing further treatment. source
- confirmed The Pope’s public audiences are suspended until 20 October. — Vatican News update. source
Editor's note
The calm-night update, surgical details and timetable come from the Vatican. The future treatment plan, extent of disease and prognosis had not been announced.Sources
More on this in other media
- ITV News — „pope leo xiv”
- BBC News — „pope leo xiv”
- The Guardian — „pope leo xiv”