Pope Francis is waiting for a laparotomy. Cause of painful hernia

Pope Francis, after the end of the general audience, went to the Gemelli University Hospital, where he will undergo an operation in the morning. The intervention, as Vatican spokesman Mateo Bruni pointed out in his communiqué, is necessary because of the hernia and the pain associated with it.

Pope to undergo laparotomy

The laparotomy procedure, since we are talking about this operation, surgical opening of the abdominal cavity. It is carried out under general anesthesia. The doctor cuts the skin and muscles to facilitate access to the organs of interest. Indications for intervention are various problems and ailments in the digestive system. In the case of Pope Francis, as explained by the representative of the Holy See Mateo Bruni, it is Fr. incarcerated incisional hernia causing severe and recurrent pain. Currently, the Pope is in the Gemelli clinic, the same one where John Paul II once operated. The stay at the facility is expected to last several days so that the Pope can recover safely from the procedure.

What is a hernia of the abdomen?

There is a hernia of the abdomen pathological protrusion of the contents of the abdominal cavity. This is usually due to the weakening of the collagen fibers. Often, this change appears at the site of the postoperative scar. One of the factors that increase the risk of such problems is the mature age of the patient (over 65 years). Treatment of a hernia is reduced only to surgical intervention. The doctor decides on how to perform the operation after analyzing the health status of a particular patient.