Pope Francis has started his work duties following surgery for an intestinal hernia, the Vatican press office announced on Friday.
The medical team at the Gemelli Polyclinic Hospital assured that Francis’ health continues to improve “progressively,” adding that the 86-year-old Pope was able to spend “most of the morning in an armchair”.
The Pope had surgery on Wednesday afternoon, June 7, for an intestinal hernia with a risk of occlusion.
Francis was admitted to the hospital on Wednesday to undergo abdominal surgery to treat an intestinal blockage.
This procedure comes two years after he underwent surgery that led to the removal of 33 centimeters (13 inches) of his colon due to large intestine narrowing.
The Vatican has announced that the Pope, aged 86, will be under general anesthesia for the procedure, scheduled for Wednesday afternoon at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital. He is expected to stay at the hospital for several days for recovery.
Shortly after 11 a.m., the Pope’s Fiat 500, accompanied by an escort, departed the Vatican and arrived at the Gemelli hospital around 20 minutes later.
The Vatican revealed that the Pope’s procedure involves a “laparotomy and abdominal wall plastic surgery with prosthesis.” This surgery is intended to address a “recurrent, painful, and worsening” intestinal constriction.
