Pope Francis Undergoes Intestinal Surgery; Responds Well After Operation

A day after his three-hour operation that involved the removal of half of his colon, the Vatican stated Monday that Pope Francis was already alert, breathing on his own, and in good condition.

Positive Response After the Operation

Based on the spokesman of the Vatican, the 84-year-old supreme pontiff is expected to spend around seven days in Gemelli Polyclinic, which is a Catholic hospital situated in Rome. Pope Francis extended for another week at the medical facility to avoid any complications that can be caused by his recent operation.

The Vatican released the brief medical bulletin, which contained the first details of the result of the surgery more than 12 hours after the conclusion of his operation on Sunday. The procedure was necessitated by what the Holy See stated was diverticular stenosis, which narrowed the sigmoid portion of the large intestine of the pope.

According to ABC News, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni shared in his written statement that the Holy Father was already breathing spontaneously and in good condition. Bruni added that the operation for the diverticular stenosis, performed during the evening of July 4, involved a left hemicolectomy. The procedure lasted for around three hours.

Moreover, the operation generally entails the removal of the left side of the colon and attaching the remaining parts of the large intestine, but the Vatican did not give any additional information regarding the surgery.

In addition, Pope Francis was spending his first morning convalescing in a Rome hospital to avoid further complications following the surgery on the left side of his large intestine.

Before the statement was released on Monday, the Vatican had given some details about the operation. Earlier, an Italian cardinal shared to reporters that the supreme pontiff, Pope Francis, was doing well during his post-operation.

Furthermore, Cardinal Enrico Feroci stated at the airport of Rome where he was catching a flight that their prayers and closeness were very great. The Italian cardinal shared that he had heard earlier in the morning from another cardinal from Italy, Angelo De Donatis, that the pope is well. De Donatis is the current vicar of the Rome Diocese.

Meanwhile, Pope Francis was currently staying in a special area, the 10th-floor suite, which the hospital keeps available for use by a pontiff. Pope John Paul II also stayed on the 10th-floor several times due to his various medical problems, The Guardian reported.

On the other hand, laparoscopy is a kind of surgical procedure commonly known as "keyhole surgery" because it allows the surgeon access to the inside of the abdomen without requiring large incisions. It was the same kind of surgery that the pope underwent, the Vatican said.

Other doctors and medical practitioners have stated that it is common to perform a re-sectioning of the affected part of the bowel in such cases. However, they clarified that it was not connected to the procedure that caused the hospitalization of the pope.

The office of Italian Premier Mario Draghi said that the leader expressed affectionate wishes for rapid convalescence and quick healing. Get-well messages continued to arrive for Pope Francis.

WATCH: Pope Francis undergoes colon surgery - ROME REPORTS in English