Pope Leo begins walking after lung cancer surgery
Doctors say the pope is eating normally and that early post-operative tests are within the expected range.
Pope Leo XIV has begun walking and respiratory physiotherapy after surgery to remove part of his right lung, the Vatican says. His doctors report that blood tests and a chest X-ray indicate a normal early recovery, although no further treatment plan has been announced.
The 71-year-old pope underwent surgery at Rome’s Agostino Gemelli University Polyclinic on Tuesday. Doctors removed the lower lobe of his right lung using a video-assisted technique, and an examination during the operation confirmed lung adenocarcinoma.
A medical update issued on Wednesday said Leo had resumed his regular diet and eaten breakfast and lunch. He had also started walking in his room and doing respiratory exercises, and doctors said his recovery was progressing as planned.
The Vatican’s press office said Leo spent a calm first night in hospital without reported complications. The operation took about 90 minutes, although he remained in the operating theatre for approximately three hours, according to the surgical team’s earlier statement.
The update provides information about the immediate post-operative period, not about the longer-term outlook. The Vatican has not said whether the cancer had spread beyond the removed tissue or whether additional treatment will be needed; further examinations of the surgical specimen are expected.
Leo’s public schedule has been changed during the hospital stay. The Vatican previously said he was expected to remain in hospital for about a week, and audiences and other events have been adjusted while he recovers.
The disclosure of the diagnosis came shortly after the operation. The Vatican had initially described the problem as a small, localised lung nodule, while the surgical examination confirmed the suspected type of cancer.
The latest statement is therefore a limited but positive update on the first day after surgery. It confirms normal early test results and increasing activity, but does not establish how long the recovery will take or what treatment doctors may recommend next.
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This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The article accurately reports the Vatican’s medical update and avoids predicting the pope’s prognosis or treatment. Claims about disease spread and further treatment are explicitly presented as unknown rather than inferred.
- confirmed Pope Leo XIV began walking and respiratory physiotherapy after surgery. — Confirmed by the Vatican medical update, as reported by Vatican News and AP. source
- confirmed The pope resumed his regular diet and ate breakfast and lunch. — Reported from the doctors’ Wednesday update. source
- confirmed Blood tests and a chest X-ray indicated a normal early recovery. — Stated by the doctors in the AP report. source
- confirmed Doctors removed the lower lobe of the pope’s right lung using a video-assisted technique. — Stated in the Vatican’s surgical account. source
- confirmed An examination during surgery confirmed lung adenocarcinoma. — Reported by Vatican News from the Holy See Press Office. source
- confirmed The Vatican has not announced whether further treatment will be needed. — The checked Vatican and AP reports give no further treatment plan and say additional examinations are pending. source
Editor's note
The Vatican and AP confirm the early recovery update, including walking, respiratory physiotherapy, eating normally and normal post-operative tests. The extent of the disease and any further treatment remain unknown.Sources
- Pope Leo has calm night in hospital after successful lung surgery — Vatican News
- Pope Leo is eating and recovering after cancer surgery, his doctors say — Associated Press
More on this in other media
- Sky News — „pope leo xiv”
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- The Guardian — „pope leo xiv”