Pope Francis is in good physical
condition and will stay in hospital for seven days after a
three-hour successful operation to open a narrowing in his
colon, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said Monday.
"His Holiness Pope Francis is in good general condition, awake
and breathing spontaneously," said the head of the Vatican press
office.
"The surgical intervention for the diverticular stenosis
performed on the evening of July 4 involved a left
hemicolectomia and had a duration of about three hours.
"A stay of seven days is expected barring complications".
Bruni said the scheduled operation, which had gone well, ended
at around 11 o'clock Friday night.
Sources said earlier that Pope Francis had a tranquil night at
Rome's Policlinico Gemelli hospital after undergoing the colon
surgery on Sunday.
The Vatican said late on Sunday that the Argentine pontiff had
responded well to the surgery by a 10-strong team of doctors. It
said the operation was scheduled.
He is in the same area of the Gemilli complex where Pope John
Paul II stayed during the spells in hospitals he had during his
papacy. Two Vatican nurses are among the team taking care of the
pope, sources said.
In a statement the government said Italian Premier Mario Draghi
expressed "affectionate wishes of a rapid convalescence and a
speedy recovery for the Holy Father after the operation".
Cardinal Enrico Feroci said he had spoken to another top
clergyman, Angelo De Donatis, the Vicar General of His Holiness,
who reported that "the pope is well".
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