The operation that Pope Leo XIV underwent this Tuesday, October 13, has confirmed that the nodule detected in his lung was a pulmonary adenocarcinoma. The pontiff is recovering at the Gemelli hospital in Rome after an intervention that, according to the medical report released by the Vatican, concluded successfully and without complications.
During the surgery, specialists removed the lower lobe of the right lung using a video-assisted technique. The decision sought to perform a "radical" excision, according to the explanation offered by the medical team.
The diagnosis was confirmed by analyzing the tissue during the intervention itself and coincided with what the doctors suspected based on previous tests.
Ninety minutes of intervention and return to his room
The statement notes that "the procedure was successful, without complications." The operation lasted approximately ninety minutes, although the total time Leo XIV remained in the operating room was about three hours.
After the surgery, the pope "woke up normally and, after a brief period of observation, returned to his room on the tenth floor" of the hospital.
The director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, explained that the pontiff asked for dinner and spent the afternoon accompanied by his secretaries and other Vatican collaborators. New postoperative tests will be carried out in the coming days and the extracted material will be analyzed.
The nodule was detected during a routine check-up
Leo XIV had announced the operation on Sunday, October 11, at the end of the Angelus prayer. He then explained that doctors had located the nodule during check-ups and that it was "in a very early stage and well localized."
The Holy See later specified that it was a routine check-up. Following the recommendation of specialists, the pope decided to undergo the intervention, which took place two days after the announcement.
The surgical team was led by Stefano Margaritora, head of the thoracic surgery service at Gemelli for a decade. The admission occurred on the same Tuesday, shortly after 1:00 p.m.
A week of hospitalization planned
The forecast communicated by the Vatican is that Leo XIV will remain hospitalized for approximately one week. His audience schedule has been suspended until October 20 to facilitate recovery.
The pontiff occupies a room on the tenth floor of Gemelli, in an area close to the apartment usually reserved for popes. On this occasion, he is not using that room because it is undergoing remodeling work.
