Pope Francis to undergo emergency surgery for risk of bowel obstruction

O pope francis86 years old, will undergo an emergency operation and under general anesthesia on the afternoon of this Wednesday, 7th, in Pomegranate, due to the risk of intestinal obstruction. Surgical intervention is “necessary” due to the worsening of the symptoms presented by the pontiff, informed his medical team, and will require “several days” of hospitalization. The Argentine pope presided this Wednesday morning at the general audience in St. Peter’s Square, in front of thousands of faithful. “After the general audience, the Holy Father went 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 Matteo Bruni, director of the press service of the Holy See. 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, became necessary because of an incisional hernia that causes recurrent, painful and worsening obstruction syndromes,” added Bruni.

On Tuesday morning, the pope went to 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, which required the use of antibiotics. Francisco declared two weeks ago, in an interview with the Telemundo channel, that the pneumonia was treated “in time”. If he decided to wait a few more hours, he said, the scenario could have been more serious.

After Wednesday’s surgery, the pontiff must remain hospitalized on the 10th floor of the Gemelli hospital, in the same room used by Pope John Paul II, who underwent surgery on several occasions in this medical center. Jorge Bergoglio also suffers from chronic pain in his right knee, which forces him to use a wheelchair or a cane to get around. The leader of the Catholic Church canceled the agenda on May 26 due to a fever, which did not require hospitalization. The next day, he resumed his appointments.

Francisco’s health often provokes speculation about an eventual resignation. He has already stated on several occasions that he would consider stepping down – as did his predecessor Benedict XVI, who died on December 31. However, he recently stated that the idea is not in his plans. Despite his fragile health, Francisco maintains his travel schedule. In early August, he will travel to Lisbon for the World Youth Days. The following month, the pope will visit Mongolia and Marseille, a city in southern France.

*With information from AFP