The Pope’s doctors say he is on the mend but advise rest and no events

Pope Francis recovers well afterwards undergo abdominal surgery this past week, his surgeon said Saturday, but his doctors advised him not to give his traditional public blessing on Sunday so he can rest.

The surgeon, Dr. Sergio Alfieri, who operated on Francis on Wednesday, told reporters at a press conference at Rome’s Policlinico A. Gemelli Hospital that it was important that the pope, who is 86, try to limit movement to prevent his body from becomes overloaded. abdominal muscle. He also said that Francis’ medical team had suggested he stay in hospital for at least another week.

“Compared to other people his age, it’s not like he goes home and sits in front of the television,” said Dr. Alfieri. “He is the head of a government that oversees millions of Catholics, a person with important responsibilities, so it is important that he is physically strong when he leaves.”

He said he hoped the pope would take the advice, but that “he’s not the kind of person you can force something on”.

Francis underwent a three-hour surgery on Wednesday under general anesthesia to remove scars from previous abdominal surgeries that had become increasingly painful and to treat a hernia in the abdominal wall by inserting a support mesh.

“To heal optimally,” said Dr. Alfieri, Francis must strain his abdomen as little as possible. If he’s not careful over the next few days, the gauze could rupture, the doctor said, and the pope could end up back in the operating room.

That’s why it’s important for the pope to limit his movements this weekend, and why he’s reciting the Angelus prayer at noon from the balcony of his 10th-floor hospital suite – as he did when he was a patient there in 2021 — would likely put too much strain on his abdomen just days after surgery, said Dr. Alfieri.

Matteo Bruni, the Vatican spokesman, said that while Francis would not appear in public, he would say the prayer “privately in his own hospital room,” adding that “anyone who wants to pray spiritually with him is welcome.”

Dr. Alfieri explained that while Francis’ surgery last week was minor compared to the surgery the pope underwent in 2021when he had a piece of colon removed, it was also ‘more complicated’, because both scars and a hernia in the abdominal wall had to be operated on.

The doctor said it would take three months for the pope to fully heal, and that Francis had decided to have the surgery now so that he would be well enough to attend events later in the summer. Francis is scheduled to visit Portugal from August 2-6 for World Youth Day events, and Mongolia from August 31 to September 4. The Vatican said last week that all public and private audiences for Francis had been canceled until June 18. as a precaution.

“From a medical point of view,” said Dr. Alfieri, “he will be better able to fulfill his obligations both inside and outside the Holy See than before.”

Dr. Alfieri also sought to quell recurring rumors about the pope’s health as concerns grew worldwide following his hospitalization, his third in Gemelli in two years.

“As a medical professional, let me say that the Pope, who is 86 years old, has no heart problems for his age, nor significant respiratory problems,” said Dr. Alfieri. Aside from a problem with his knee, meaning Francis often walks with a cane or uses a wheelchair, “from a cardio-respiratory standpoint, he doesn’t have a serious problem and never has,” he said.

When asked about the pope’s mood, Dr. Alfieri: “Excellent. It is a pleasure and a privilege to be in contact with him.”