Pope Leo XIV’s recovery from surgery to remove a lower lobe of his lung is “progressing as expected”, his doctors have said.
The 71-year-old pontiff has started to walk and has “resumed a normal diet” following the roughly 90-minute procedure, the medics said in an update shared by the Vatican.
The Pope was diagnosed with lung cancer after the surgery at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Tuesday afternoon, which the Vatican said had been “successful” and proceeded without complications.
Blood tests and an X-ray early on Wednesday showed his recovery was “proceeding normally”, the doctors said, and he has also undergone respiratory physiotherapy.
The whole lower lobe of the Pope’s right lung was removed “to ensure the procedure was radical”, the Vatican said following the surgery.
“After the operation, the Pope awoke normally and returned after a brief period of observation to his room,” it said earlier, before spending a “peaceful night” at the hospital.
The pontiff is expected to remain there for about a week as he recovers.
