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Pope Leo XIV Undergoes Successful Lung Surgery at Gemelli Hospital

By Inside Tanzania - October 14, 2026

Vatican City — Pope Leo XIV, the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church, has undergone surgery at Gemelli Hospital in Rome, where surgeons removed the lower lobe of his right lung. An intraoperative examination of the tissue confirmed a diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, according to the Holy See Press Office.

According to the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV underwent the scheduled thoracic surgery at Gemelli Hospital on the afternoon of 13 October 2026. The medical statement was issued by Dr Luigi Carbone and Professor Stefano Margaritora and published by the Holy See Press Office.

The statement explained that the Pope’s lower right lung lobe had been removed using a video-assisted surgical technique.

“To ensure a radical procedure, the lower lobe of the right lung was removed using a video-assisted technique,” the statement said.

The medical findings confirmed the diagnosis suspected following the pre-operative examinations.

“The intraoperative histological examination confirmed the diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, as suspected by the pre-operative tests,” the doctors stated.

According to the Vatican statement, the Pope spent approximately three hours in the operating theatre, while the operation itself lasted about 90 minutes. The surgery was successful and was completed without complications.

Good News: The Pope Recovers Well After Surgery

The good news is that Pope Leo XIV woke up normally following the operation. After a brief period of observation, he returned to his room on the tenth floor of Gemelli Hospital, where he is expected to remain for approximately one week.

Professor Margaritora led the surgical team, assisted by Professor Elisa Meacci, Dr Maria Teresa Congedo and Dr Leonardo Petracca Ciavarella.

Further Updates Expected

The Vatican Press Office is expected to provide further information on Wednesday, including details of how the Pope spent the night and any results from his post-operative examinations.

According to Matteo Bruni, Director of the Holy See Press Office, Pope Leo XIV asked for dinner after the operation and spent the evening with his secretaries and other members of the Vatican staff.

Earlier Reports on the Pope’s Health

On Monday, it was reported that Pope Leo XIV would be admitted to a hospital in Rome for surgery to remove a lung nodule.

The Pope had publicly disclosed the health concern during his Angelus address on Sunday, explaining that a small, localised nodule had been discovered in his lung during recent medical examinations. He announced that he intended to undergo surgery to have it removed, following his doctors’ advice.

The Vatican had announced that the Pope would be admitted to Agostino Gemelli University Hospital on Tuesday morning, 13 October, ahead of the planned afternoon operation.

Surgery of this nature is generally performed under general anaesthesia. The Pope is expected to remain in hospital for approximately one week while he recovers.

The Vatican had already cancelled the Pope’s public engagements from Monday until 20 October.

“These are conditions that can be treated very well,” said Dr Lorenzo Spaggiari, Director of Thoracic Surgery at the European Institute of Oncology (EIO). Although he is not involved in the Pope’s treatment, he is familiar with the medical team at Gemelli Hospital.

Could Robotic Technology Be Used?

Spaggiari said he expected the Gemelli medical team to carry out a biopsy to establish whether the lung nodule was cancerous, followed by the removal of the affected part of the lung.

He explained that the diagnostic procedures could potentially be performed using robotic techniques and, where appropriate, carried out consecutively under anaesthesia, with different teams of specialists involved.