Pope Francis to undergo emergency surgery for risk of bowel obstruction

2023-06-07 11:32:00

Pope Francis, 86, will undergo emergency surgery under general anesthesia this Wednesday (7) afternoon in Rome due to the risk of intestinal obstruction, the Vatican announced.

The surgical intervention is “necessary” due to the worsening of the symptoms presented by the Supreme Pontiff, informed his medical team, and will require “several days” of hospitalization, informs a statement released by the director of the press service of the Holy See, Matteo Bruni.

This Wednesday morning, the Argentine pope presided over the general audience in St. Peter’s Square, in front of thousands of faithful.

“After the general audience, the Holy Father proceeded to the A. Gemelli University Hospital, where, in the early afternoon, he will undergo a laparotomy operation and plastic surgery on the abdominal wall with a prosthesis, under general anesthesia,” explained Bruni. .

Laparotomy is a surgical procedure that consists of opening the abdominal cavity.

“The operation, prepared in recent days by the medical team that attends to the Holy Father, has become necessary because of an incisional hernia that causes recurrent, painful and worsening syndromes of obstruction,” added Bruni.

On Tuesday morning, the pope appeared at the Gemelli hospital and underwent “tests”, but the Vatican did not reveal the procedures.

In July 2021, Francisco spent almost 10 days in the same hospital for colon surgery. He stated that he suffered “sequelae” from the anesthesia.

At the end of March, the Argentine, elected pope in 2013, was again admitted to the Gemmeli hospital to treat a respiratory infection.