2023-06-08 21:37:30
Pope Francis has been rushed to a hospital in Rome. The reason ? A decisional hernia that requires an operation to avoid complications.
The Holy See’s press office reported through a bulletin that Pope Francis had to undergo surgery due to an incisional hernia. This type of hernia can put the person at risk of bowel obstruction, which is a tricky scenario.
Pope Francis underwent abdominal wall plasty with a prosthesis. This intervention requires a laparotomy, that is to say an opening of the abdomen.
The pontiff will remain in the hospital for several days. And this, in order to favor a complete functional recovery and a normal postoperative evolution.
What is an incisional hernia?
An incisional hernia is an opening that appears in the abdominal wall where there was a previous surgical incision. In other words, it is the opening that occurs where the scar from surgery that was performed previously should be.
In medicine, it is considered a variant of ventral hernia. Its appearance is due to the fact that this part of the body is weak, with less resistance to internal pressure. In the abdomen, it becomes more evident. The organs push outward and, when they meet a lack of resistance from muscles and skin, they swell.
The most common symptoms are:
- Pain
- Nausea and vomiting
- Appearance of a mass in a surgical wound
The discovery of these signs should lead to a consultation. And although the doctor can observe the presence of the mass with the naked eye, he will surely order imaging tests, because incarceration is a latent risk. These examinations make it possible to visualize the internal situation of the organs.
A study of Spanish patients over the age of 80 found that elective surgery is the approach of choice in people with clinical pictures similar to those of Pope Francis. The possibility of progressing to more serious situations is thus reduced.
In itself, the surgical intervention does not carry higher risks than those of the operation of a common hernia. In any case, the age of the Sovereign Pontiff is an additional circumstance to consider.
Incisional hernias are usually not associated with malignant processes. But it is not uncommon for the surgeon to do a biopsy to exclude a neoplastic tumor.
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Pope Francis’ health battles
This is not the first news from Pope Francis regarding his health and an operation. Before residing in the Vatican, at the age of 21 (in 1957), he had a lung infection which was treated by surgery. The upper lobe of his right lung was removed.
But that’s not all. Argentinian doctor and journalist Nelson Castro, who has known Jorge Bergoglio since his early days as Archbishop of Buenos Aires, has published a book on the health of popes. He summarizes some clinical anecdotes of the suffering that Pope Francis went through, long before this emergency operation.
According to Nelson Castro’s records, the Supreme Pontiff was treated with Chinese acupuncture for back pain while living in Argentina. Additionally, he suffered from gallstones and a heart problem in 2004, due to a narrowing of an artery that cut off proper circulation.
Pope Francis has also had recurrent pain due to inflammation of the sciatic nerve, which forced him to suspend certain celebrations as pope. In 2019 he underwent cataract surgery at the Pío XI clinic in Rome.
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For more than a year, he has also suffered from a problem in his right knee. This forces him to move around with the help of a cane or in a wheelchair. Although doctors have advised him to have joint surgery, he has so far opted once morest it.
Pope Francis’ previous abdominal operation
On July 4, 2021, it was surprisingly announced that the pope would undergo colon surgery. 33 centimeters of his large intestine was removed, due to diverticulitis. He was admitted for ten days at the clinic.
Activities suspended for the pope
The pope is an important world leader and his health is a matter of interest to many people. Despite the challenges he faces, he continues to show great dedication to his role as a leader of Catholicism.
The Holy See has communicated that the intervention was a success. Francisco’s official diary has been suspended until June 18 and news of his progress are expected.
“The surgery is over. It went without complications and lasted three hours.”
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All cited sources have been thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, timeliness and validity. The bibliography for this article has been considered academically or scientifically reliable and accurate.
- Álvarez, AJ, Baldonedo, FR, García, I., Suárez, AJ, Álvarez, P., & Jorge, IJ (2004). Incarcerated external hernias in octogenarian patients. Spanish Surgery, 75(3), 129-134. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0009739X04789411
- Dietz, U. A., Menzel, S., Lock, J., & Wiegering, A. (2018). The treatment of incisional hernia. German Medical Journal International, 115(3), 31. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5787661/
- Hope, W. W., & Tuma, F. (2022). Incisional hernia. In StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK435995/
- Smith, J., & Parmely, J. D. (2022). Ventral hernia. In StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing.
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