Pope Francis to undergo intestinal surgery under general anaesthesia
The Hindu
Pope Francis went to the hospital on June 7 to undergo abdominal surgery to treat an intestinal blockage, two years after he had 33 centimetres (13 inches) of his colon removed
Pope Francis went to the hospital on June 7 to undergo abdominal surgery to treat an intestinal blockage, two years after he had 33 centimetres (13 inches) of his colon removed because of an inflammation and narrowing of the large intestine.
The Vatican said Pope Francis, 86, would be put under general anaesthesia for the procedure on June 7 afternoon and would be hospitalized at Rome's Gemelli hospital for several days.
Pope Francis' white Fiat 500 car pulled out of the Vatican shortly after 11 a.m. with an escort, witnesses said, headed for Gemelli.
The Pope was undergoing what the Vatican said was a “laparotomy and abdominal wall plastic surgery with prosthesis” to treat a “recurrent, painful and worsening” constriction of the intestine.
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A laparotomy is open abdominal surgery. It can help a surgeon both diagnose and treat issues. The statement said Pope Francis was suffering from a blocked laparocele, which is a hernia that formed over a previous scar.
"The stay at the health facility will last several days to allow for the normal post-operative course and full functional recovery,” the statement said.
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