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Vatican Releases Update on Pope Leo’s Lung Surgery

The American pontiff’s surgery to remove a small growth on his lung was successful.

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The Vatican announced that Pope Leo XIV’s surgery to remove a small growth on his lung has been successful. “The surgery was completed successfully, within the expected timeframe and as planned, and the Holy Father has returned to his room,” the Vatican posted Tuesday. The American pontiff arrived in good spirits at the Gemelli Hospital in Rome for his scheduled surgery, greeting staff and shaking hands, video footage from the scene showed. The Vatican said Leo’s estimated recovery time is a week and canceled all of his audiences through October 20. Leo, 71, announced the planned procedure during his Sunday noon prayer in St. Peter’s Square. “The doctors believe it is best to intervene, so, following their advice, I have decided to undergo surgery to have it removed,” he told the crowd. The pope has no previously known health problems. “These are things that can be treated very well, if the words he used reflect the clinical situation,” said Dr. Lorenzo Spaggiari, a thoracic surgeon at the European Institute of Oncology who is familiar with the team at Gemelli but is not involved in the pope’s care.