On the fifth day of the pope’s recovery in the hospital after a surgery that removed part of his colon, the pope is able to move and eat unassisted, and is no longer in need of intravenous treatment, the Vatican said.
This latest update comes a day after the Vatican confirmed that the 84-year-old pope had suffered a “severe” narrowing of the colon.
Bruni said that examinations showed that Pope Francis had experienced “severe diverticular stenosis [narrowing] with signs of sclerosing [hardening] diverticulitis.”
Pope Francis was hospitalized on July 4 to undergo an operation to relieve stricture of the colon caused by diverticulitis, a common condition that involves the formation of small bulges or sacs on the wall of the colon.
A 10-person medical team was involved in Francis’ surgery, which was carried out under general anesthesia, lasted about three hours and included a left hemicolectomy, the removal of one side of the colon.
The Vatican spokesman said July 5 that the pope was expected to spend seven days recovering in the hospital, “barring complications.”
Pope Francis is staying in Gemelli University Hospital, located on Rome’s highest hill, Monte Mario.
The pope’s hospital room is on the 10th floor of the sprawling polyclinic in a wing reserved for papal medical emergencies. The pope’s medical suite can be identified from the street by its five large windows covered by white blinds.