Pope Leo XIV left the Vatican on Tuesday and arrived at a Rome hospital to have a lung nodule removed, an operation that experts say will determine whether the lesion is malignant and if other treatment is needed.
\n\nLeo walked into the Gemelli hospital, and waved as dozens of well-wishers waited at the hospital’s main entrance in anticipation of his arrival. The Vatican said he would undergo surgery later in the day.
\n\nThe 71-year-old American pontiff has offered a rare level of transparency about the first publicly disclosed major health problem of his 17-month papacy. He revealed the discovery of the small, localized nodule during his Sunday noon prayer and announced that he would have it removed.
\n\nThe surgery, which is usually performed under general anesthesia, will require a weeklong hospital stay and the Vatican on Monday canceled all Leo’s audiences through Oct. 20.
\n\nA churchman who saw Leo on Monday, Tokyo Cardinal Kikuchi Tsutomu, said Leo told him he felt fine and decided to have the surgery immediately so that he wouldn’t have to alter his upcoming travel plans to Latin America.
\n\nBut the decision clearly came as a surprise: While Gemelli has a specific papal apartment that past…
Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/business