Pope using armchair, reading newspapers at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital
Pope Francis is using an armchair and reading newspapers, the Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, says, as he offers an update on the Pope’s continued progress following his laparotomy and abdominal wall plastic surgery, which took place on Wednesday afternoon.
By Vatican News staff writer
Doctors say Pope Francis is recovering well, starting to use an armchair, and read newspapers.
Friday afternoon, the Holy See Press Office expressed this in an update regarding Pope Francis’ recovery following his surgery on Wednesday.
In a statement, the Director of the Press Office, Matteo Bruni, said: “The medical team reports that the clinical picture is progressively improving and the post-operative course is regular.”
“After breakfast, His Holiness began to move about, spending most of the morning in an armchair. This allowed him to read the newspapers and start work again.”
In a message to accredited journalists on Friday morning, via Telegram, on Friday morning, the Press Office said the Pope had another good night. The Press Office Director said the Pope rested well.
Pope to resume normal activities, travel after rest period
On Wednesday after the surgery, the Pope’s surgeon, Dr. Sergio Alfieri, told reporters that there were no complications, and that the Pope was conscious, alert, and joking after surgery. Dr Alfieri said the Pope should eventually be able to resume travel and his normal activities, but should not lift heavy objects.
As a standard precaution, the Pope will stay in the hospital for 5 to 7 days.
On Wednesday evening, the Holy See Press Office announced that his audiences have been suspended until 18 June.
Regular post-operative course
On Thursday afternoon, the Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, wrote, “His Holiness Pope Francis spent a day resting. The medical staff following the Pontiff’s post-operative course reports that he has been fed a liquid diet. His haemodynamic (blood pressure) and respiratory parameters are stable. The post-operative course appears regular.
This afternoon, the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, he received the Eucharist. Among the many messages of closeness, he was touched by the affection of the family of little Miguel Angel, baptised by Pope Francis last 31 March during his visit to the paediatric oncology and neurosurgery wards of the hospital, who sent him a poster wishing him a speedy recovery. The Holy Father personally thanked the mother with a brief phone call.”
Good overall condition
In an earlier statement to journalists Thursday afternoon, Matteo Bruni, said: “The medical staff following the post-operative progress of the Pontiff reports that Pope Francis spent a quiet night, managing to rest for a long time; he is in good overall condition, and is alert and breathing on his own.”
“The routine follow-up examinations are good. He will take the necessary post-operative rest for the whole day.”
“The Pope has been made aware of the messages of closeness and affection that have arrived in the last few hours, and has expressed his gratitude, while at the same time asking for continued prayers.”
Prayers from US, entire world
Messages of closeness and best wishes for a speedy recovery continue to pour in from around the world.
The President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, issued a statement praying for the Holy Father.
“As Pope Francis recovers from surgery, he is strengthened by faith in the healing power of our merciful God. Please keep Pope Francis and all those in the hospital in your prayers today and every day. Jesus always walks with us and is even closer whenever we need healing and comfort,” he said.
Pope Francis ‘in good condition’ at Gemelli Hospital
The Holy See Press Office provides an update on Pope Francis’ health following his laparotomy and abdominal wall plastic surgery, which took place on Wednesday afternoon.
By Vatican News staff reporter
Pope Francis continued Thursday to recover in Rome’s Gemelli Hospital from his laparotomy and abdominal wall plastic surgery on Wednesday afternoon.
In a statement to journalists accredited to the Holy See, the Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, said: “The medical staff following the post-operative progress of the Pontiff reports that Pope Francis spent a quiet night, managing to rest for a long time; he is in good overall condition, and is alert and breathing on his own.”
“The routine follow-up examinations are good. He will take the necessary post-operative rest for the whole day.”
“The Pope has been made aware of the messages of closeness and affection that have arrived in the last few hours, and has expressed his gratitude, while at the same time asking for continued prayers.”READ ALSO
07/06/2023
Well-wishes flood in
Meanwhile, more messages of closeness and best wishes for a speedy recovery continue to pour in from around the world.
Earlier Thursday morning, via Telegram, Matteo Bruni communicated to journalists that the first night of Pope Francis’ stay at the Policlinico Gemelli hospital went well.
On Wednesday, his surgeon, Dr. Sergio Alfieri, told reporters that the Pope was conscious, alert, and joking after surgery. Dr Alfieri said the Pope should eventually be able to resume travel and his normal activities, but should not lift heavy objects.
As a standard precaution, the Pope will stay in the hospital for 5 to 7 days. On Wednesday evening, the Holy See Press Office announced that his audiences have been suspended until 18 June.
Journalists from around the world have set up outside Gemelli Hospital to follow news of Pope Francis’ recovery.
Pope conscious, alert and ‘joking’ after surgery
The surgeon who operated on Pope Francis on Wednesday afternoon tells journalists the operation went ahead without complications and the Pope is alert and in good spirits.
By Linda Bordoni
“The Holy Father is well, he is awake, alert, and has already joked with me!”
Doctor Sergio Alfieri, the surgeon who operated on Pope Francis at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Wednesday afternoon, told journalists the operation went ahead without complications and the Pope is expected to make a full recovery within the usual timeframe for such an intervention.
He confirmed that the programmed surgical procedure to remove an incisional laparocele (hernia) caused by scarring from old surgeries was not an emergency operation.
07/06/2023
Pope Francis: Three-hour long surgery completed without complications
07/06/2023Pope admitted to hospital for abdominal surgery
Not an emergency
“Had it been an emergency, we would have intervened yesterday when he came into the hospital for a scheduled CAT scan,” he said.
Dr Alfieri explained that the laparocele had been causing increasingly frequent pain, thus the Pope’s medical team decided to schedule the operation.
“We found several strong adhesions (internal scarring) between some partially congested mid-intestinal loops and the parietal peritoneum, causing the above-mentioned symptoms,” he said.
The surgeon explained that the adhesions were removed and the hernial defect was repaired by means of “abdominal wall plastic surgery with the aid of a prosthetic mesh.”
No complications
“The surgery and the general anaesthesia went ahead without complications,” Dr Alfieri said, reiterating that the Holy Father has reacted well.
Answering questions put to him by reporters present at the briefing, Dr Alfieri said that such an operation usually requires about seven days in the hospital for recovery.
He noted that due to Pope Francis’ age, “we will take all precautions” and will decide in the coming days how to manage his post-surgical recovery.
Matteo Bruni, the Director of the Holy See Press Office, who was coordinating the briefing, confirmed an earlier announcement that all papal audiences will be suspended until 18 June.
Dr Alfieri reiterated that both during this procedure and the last, in 2021, nothing malignant was found, nor were other pathologies or illnesses revealed.
Thanks to hospital staff
Alfieri, who is the same surgeon who operated on Pope Francis for symptomatic diverticular stenosis of the colon in July 2021, stated that “the Holy Father has never had a problem” with general anaesthetics, “not today or 2 years ago; no problem on either occasion.”
The surgeon concluded the briefing upholding the work of all the Gemelli Hospital staff, whom he thanked for their dedication, professionalism, and hard work.
