Pope Leo XIV underwent surgery on Tuesday to confirm that he has lung cancer. Doctors removed the lower lobe of his right lung as a result.
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The Vatican shared the news, saying that the surgery was planned.
“An intraoperative histological examination confirmed the diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, as suspected from the preoperative examinations,” the doctors said.
The Pope was in the operating room for about three hours, but the operation itself only lasted for about 90 minutes. Doctors said the surgery was successful, and there were no complications.
Pope Leo woke normally after the surgery and, after observation, was able to go to his room on the 10th floor of Gemelli Hospital.
Following his surgery, Pope Leo asked for dinner and spent the evening with his secretaries and other Vatican staff, according to Matteo Bruni, the Director of the Holy See Press Office.
Currently, the plan is for Pope Leo to spend one week in the hospital. In the next few days, doctors will perform post-op tests on the lung tissue they removed. Tests have already shown them where and how to operate.
According to PBS, Leo revealed the discovery of a small localized nodule during his Sunday afternoon prayer. He then announced that he planned to have it removed.
Prior to his operation, oncologists said that even if the nodule did prove to be cancerous, Leo had an “excellent” prognosis since it was caught early.
On Monday, the Vatican canceled all of Pope Leo’s audiences through Oct. 20.