Pope Leo XIV has lung nodule removed in Rome — PBS NewsHour

Pope Leo XIV underwent surgery on Tuesday to remove a lung nodule at Rome's Gemelli Hospital in Italy. The procedure is intended to help determine whether the formation is malignant and whether the pontiff will require further treatment, PBS NewsHour reports.

The 71-year-old pontiff entered the hospital building through the main entrance on his own and greeted people gathered outside the facility. According to the Vatican, the surgery was to be performed by a team led by Gemelli's chief thoracic surgeon, Stefano Margaritora.

Examinations and recovery

Leo XIV disclosed the small localized nodule during Sunday prayer and said doctors had recommended its removal. The formation was discovered during routine medical examinations. The Vatican canceled all of the pontiff's audiences through October 20, and his hospitalization is expected to last at least a week.

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Lorenzo Spaggiari, director of the thoracic surgery department at the European Institute of Oncology in Milan, who is not involved in the pope's treatment, suggested that doctors may perform a biopsy and remove part of the lung where the nodule is located. According to him, such procedures can be performed using a robotic minimally invasive method, although the specific technique for Leo XIV's surgery was not announced.

Further plans

Spaggiari noted that during the operation, doctors may also remove lymph nodes associated with the affected area of the lung. If their examination shows no signs of the disease spreading, additional treatment may not be needed.

Oncologists believe that even if the formation is malignant, the prognosis may be favorable, since the nodule was scheduled to be removed at an early stage. The pontiff is scheduled to travel to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru from November 6 to 17, but whether the trip takes place will depend on the course of his recovery after surgery.