Pope Leo XIV arrives at Romes Gemelli hospital ahead of lung surgery

ROME — Pope Leo XIV was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital on Tuesday ahead of surgery later in the day to remove a lung nodule, an operation that experts say will determine whether the lesion is malignant and if other treatment is needed.After the quick drive from the Vatican, Leo walked into the hospital through the main entrance and waved to dozens of well-wishers who had gathered to greet him.The Vatican said the surgery would be performed later in the afternoon by a team led by Gemelli’s chief thoracic surgeon, Dr.

Stefano Margaritora.The 71-year-old American pontiff has offered a rare level of transparency about the first publicly disclosed major health problem of his 17-month papacy.He revealed the discovery of the small, localized nodule during his Sunday noon prayer and announced that he would have it removed.Oncologists say even if the nodule turns out to be cancerous, Leo’s prognosis is “excellent” since it will have been removed at an early stage.The surgery, which is usually performed under general anesthesia, will require a weeklong hospital stay, and the Vatican on Monday canceled all of Leo’s audiences through Oct.

20.“These are things that can be treated very well, if the words he used reflect the clinical situation,” said Dr.Lorenzo Spaggiari, director of thoracic surgery at the European Institute of Oncology, or EIO, in Milan, who is not involved in the pope’s care but knows the team at Gemelli.A churchman who saw Leo on Monday, Tokyo Cardinal Kikuchi Tsutomu, said Leo told him he felt fine and decided to have the surgery immediately to avoid altering his upcoming travel plans to Latin America.But the decision clearly came as a surprise: While Gemelli has a specific papal apartment that past popes have used, complete with a private chapel on the 10th floor, Leo will actually be staying in a nearby room since the papal apartment is currently undergoing renovations, according to the Vatican press office.Spaggiari said he expe...