Pope Francis will undergo abdominal surgery to treat an intestinal blockage: all that is known
The Holy See has come out with a statement saying that Pope Francis suffers from an ‘incisional hernia’ that makes surgical intervention urgent.
In 2021, millions of the faithful of the Catholic Church around the world prayed for the health of Pope Francis, when a potentially serious problem in the colon caused the pope to undergo emergency surgery at the University Hospital of Rome. Fortunately, the operation was carried out without major problems, and after 10 days in the hospital, he was able to return to carry out his spiritual and institutional duties.
However, in March, the health of the pontiff once again suffered. In this case his lungs were the problem. He had to be admitted urgently due to acute pneumonia. Although, once again, the Argentine managed to overcome adversity presented by his own body.
For a third time his followers will have to wait to see how his health will turn out. The Holy See has issued a statement explaining that the results of the last CT scan performed on the Bishop of Rome are not positive, and that medical professionals have indicated that he must be operated on again and with the utmost urgency at Gemelli Hospital in Rome. According to the Vatican announcement, the problem is an incisional hernia that carries a risk of intestinal obstruction.
Fragile health
The Pope’s operation will be followed by a period of postoperative admission to the hospital to carefully monitor his recovery process. The stay in the health institution could last “several days”, just at it did in 2021. The Pope is already at an advanced age -86 years old-, which makes rumors about his health more worrying to the public.
In addition to his lung and intestinal problems, there is serious discomfort in his right knee, something that has visibly affected his mobility, which has deteriorated greatly in recent years. This has forced him to use external aids such as a cane or a wheelchair to be able to move. With this history of growing ailments, the parishioners pray that, despite his apparent fragility, the first Jesuit pope still has many years of serving the Catholic Church ahead of him.