Rome [Italy], October 16: Pope Leo XIV has walked around his hospital room for the first time since undergoing lung surgery and has resumed eating normally, doctors at Rome's Gemelli Hospital reported on Wednesday.
The postoperative recovery of the 71-year-old head of the Catholic Church is proceeding normally, according to a statement from the medical team. Blood tests and a chest X-ray confirmed this assessment.
Overall, his recovery is progressing as expected. "The results are within the range expected for the type of procedure performed," it said.
Leo has begun respiratory physiotherapy. He ate breakfast and lunch in his hospital room, the statement added.
During a lengthy operation on Tuesday, doctors removed a malignant tumour from the pope's right lung. The medical team, led by Professor Stefano Margaritora, removed the lower lobe of the right lung.
A nodule that had been detected in the area before the operation turned out to be a lung adenocarcinoma, a malignant tumour. According to experts, this is the most common form of lung cancer. Earlier, the Vatican reported that the pope had spent a quiet night in hospital after surgery, in which the right lower lobe was completely removed to ensure that nothing of the tumour remained.
Doctors said the operation itself was successful and without complications.
It was initially unclear how treatment would continue. That depends crucially on whether cancer cells are still present in the body. Even if the procedure was successful, there is a risk of recurrence.
Source: Qatar Tribune
