Pope Francis had 'a good night' after surgery

June 8, 2023

Pope Francis, 86, had a good night’s sleep at Gemelli Hospital in Rome the day after his abdominal hernia operation, the Vatican said.

“The night went well, more information (will follow) at the end of the morning,” the Holy See’s press office said in a brief statement Thursday morning.

Jorge Bergoglio was operated on Wednesday afternoon under general anesthesia, for three hours, in order to absorb painful “adhesions” on his abdominal wall, consequences of his colon operation in April 2021.

A “benign” intervention, according to his surgeon, which will not leave any sequelae.

François “does not suffer from other illnesses”, assured Professor Sergio Alfieri during a press conference on Wednesday evening.

He is expected to spend several days on the 10th floor of the Polyclinic Gemelli, known as the “Hospital of the Popes”, in the same room used many times by John Paul II.

His hearings have been canceled until June 18.

At the end of March, the pope had already returned to the Gemelli hospital for a respiratory infection which had required antibiotic treatment for three days.

The Argentinian pontiff has experienced recurring health problems since his election in 2013 and suffers from chronic knee pain that forces him to move around in a wheelchair or using a cane.