Pope Francis undergoes intestinal surgery under general anesthesia

Pope Francis leads the weekly general audience in Saint Peters Square, Vatican City, on June 7, 2023. (Photo by Massimo Valicchia/NurPhoto via Getty Images) ROME - Pope Francis went to the hospital Wednesday to undergo abdominal surgery to treat an intestinal blockage, two years after he had 33 centimeters (13 inches) of his colon removed because of a narrowing of the large intestine.The Vatican said Francis, 86, would be put under general anesthesia for the procedure Wednesday afternoon and would be hospitalized at Rome's Gemelli hospital for several days.Francis' Fiat 500 car pulled out of the Vatican shortly after 11 a.m.

with an escort, and arrived at the Gemelli some 20 minutes later.The pope is undergoing what the Vatican said was a "laparotomy and abdominal wall plastic surgery with prosthesis" to treat a "recurrent, painful and worsening" constriction of the intestine.A laparotomy is open abdominal surgery.

It can help a surgeon both diagnose and treat issues. The statement said Francis was suffering from a blocked laparocele, which is a hernia that formed over a previous scar."The stay at the health facility will last several days to allow for the normal post-operative course and full functional recovery," the statement said.

An update was not expected until after the procedure.Francis remains in charge of the Vatican and the 1.3-billion strong Catholic Church, even while unconscious and in the hospital.Pope Francis, whose birth name is Jorge Mario Bergoglio, is the leader of the Roman Catholic Church.