Pope Francis hospitalized after successful operation due to risk of intestinal obstruction

The pope was admitted to the Gemelli hospital in Rome, where he underwent surgery on Wednesday afternoon. He will remain hospitalized for several days.

Pope Francis was admitted on Wednesday to the Gemelli hospital in Rome, where he had been previously treated on Tuesday for a medical check-up, to undergo surgery for a risk of intestinal obstruction. The pope will have to be hospitalized for several days, according to the Vatican Press agency.

According to Vatican sources, the operation was successfully completed, and the Holy Father will now rest and recover for a few days in the hospital.

Francis was admitted at the end of the general audience at the Holy See this Wednesday morning. A statement issued by the Vatican press office noted that the holy father "will undergo a laparotomy and abdominal wall surgery under general anesthesia."

The surgical intervention, decided in the last few days by the medical team assisting the Holy Father, became necessary due to an incisional laparocele (hernia) that is causing recurrent, painful and worsening subocclusive syndromes.

The Vatican Press Office added that the pope will remain in the hospital for several days "to allow for a normal postoperative course and full functional recovery."

The announcement of the pope's intervention follows several episodes leading to hospitalization in recent months.