Pope Francis was admitted to Gemelli Hospital on Wednesday where he will undergo abdominal surgery to repair a hernia, with the 86-year-old head of the Catholic Church staying in Rome for the next several days, the Vatican said, citing health concerns.
Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said Pope Francis will be put under general anesthesia for the procedure on Wednesday afternoon.
In late May, the Pope canceled his engagements because he was suffering from a debilitating fever. Back in March, was also admitted to the hospital for the problem of bronchitis.
When leaving the hospital, Francis joked that he was “still alive.”
Technically called a laparotomy, Wednesday’s procedure involves general anesthesia and aims to repair a hernia that is causing “recurrent, painful and worsening” symptoms, according to the Vatican.
CNN Citing medical sources, the intervention is likely related to Francis’ 2021 surgery to remove half of his large intestine.
Vatican spokesman Bruni also noted that the pope is expected to make a “full functional recovery.”
The Vatican statement said the operation was necessary to repair a laparocell, a hernia that sometimes forms on a scar from previous surgery. It can also be caused by obesity or weakness of the abdominal wall muscles.
His condition has been deteriorating since he had a partial lung removed with colon surgery 2 years ago. Part of his lung was amputated due to the damage he suffered after a severe bout of pneumonia years ago.
In 2019, he also underwent eye surgery at the Clinic of Pius XI in Rome to treat cataracts. He has also struggled with chronic sciatica pain.
He was also facing knee problems due to which he was using a wheelchair or a cane for the past one year.
Francis spent about 40 minutes in the same Roman hospital on Tuesday undergoing pre-operative procedures.
On his condition, he told an aide last year that “you run the church with your head, not your knees.”
Despite his health problems, he maintains a busy schedule and is scheduled to visit Portugal and Mongolia in August.