Pope Francis is alert, breathing without assistance, and in a good overall condition following surgery to remove part of his colon, the Vatican said on Monday. The pope underwent a left hemicolectomy, a procedure in which one side of the colon is removed, Bruni said. The statement did not specify whether the decision to remove part of the colon had been taken before or during the surgery. The scheduled surgery was for symptomatic diverticular stenosis of the colon, a condition in which sac-like pouches protrude from the muscular layer of the colon, leading it to become narrow. The late Pope John Paul led the prayer from the window of his room and even from his bed during several hospitalisations over the course of his 27-year papacy.

Source: The Star July 05, 2021 11:48 UTC