Pope Leo
Pope Leo XIV underwent a successful surgery Tuesday to remove a lung nodule, according to the Vatican.
The 71-year-old Leo had walked into Rome's Gemelli hospital through the main entrance earlier Tuesday and waved to dozens of well-wishers who had gathered to greet him. The Vatican said the surgery would be performed by a team led by Gemelli's chief thoracic surgeon, Dr. Stefano Margaritora.
The American pontiff has offered a rare level of transparency about the first publicly disclosed major health problem of his 17-month papacy. He revealed the discovery of the small, localized nodule during his Sunday noon prayer and announced that he would have it removed.
Oncologists say even if the nodule turns out to be cancerous, Leo's prognosis is "excellent" since it will have been removed at an early stage.
The surgery, which is fairly low risk and usually performed under general anesthesia, will require a weeklong hospital stay and the Vatican on Monday canceled all Leo's audiences through Oct. 20.
The procedure comes just weeks before Leo is scheduled to take a trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru at the beginning of November. Doctors typically suggest about three weeks to recover without any flying.
"He has decided to undergo surgery soon in order to not change his plans for future overseas trips, so there is no need to worry, as it is not an emergency," said Tokyo Cardinal Kikuchi Tsutomu, who saw Leo on Monday.
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- Pope Leo XIV underwent a successful surgery Tuesday to remove a lung nodule, according to the Vatican.
- The 71-year-old Leo had walked into Rome's Gemelli hospital through the main entrance earlier Tuesday and waved to dozens of well-wishers who had gathered to greet him. The Vatican said the surgery would be performed by a team led by Gemell
- The American pontiff has offered a rare level of transparency about the first publicly disclosed major health problem of his 17-month papacy. He revealed the discovery of the small, localized nodule during his Sunday noon prayer and announc
- Oncologists say even if the nodule turns out to be cancerous, Leo's prognosis is "excellent" since it will have been removed at an early stage.
- The surgery, which is fairly low risk and usually performed under general anesthesia, will require a weeklong hospital stay and the Vatican on Monday canceled all Leo's audiences through Oct. 20.