Adnkronos (Adnkronos) –
Pope Leo was admitted to the Gemelli Hospital in Rome late this morning, Tuesday, October 13th, where he will undergo surgery to remove a lung nodule he himself spoke about last Sunday at the end of the Angelus. The nodule, a "limited" one, was discovered after a routine checkup, the Vatican Press Office announced.
The Pope could undergo surgery as early as today, although this has not yet been specified. The post-operative recovery will last a week, as has been explained. Obviously, the Pope's schedule has undergone some changes, with the cancellation of all audiences through Tuesday, October 20, according to the Prefecture of the Papal Household.
A coordinare l’equipe che eseguirà l’intervento ci dovrebbe essere il professore Stefano Margaritora, Direttore dell’Unità operativa complessa (Uoc) di Chirurgia toracica presso la Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli Irccs di Roma, ordinario di Chirurgia toracica e direttore della Scuola di specializzazione in chirurgia toracica presso l’Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore di Roma.
Margaritora è tra l’altro uno specialista in chirurgia mininvasiva (toracoscopia uniportale e robotica).
La degenza dopo l’operazione dovrebbe durare circa una settimana. Durante il ricovero, Papa Prevost manterrà comunque la piena autorità alla guida della Chiesa cattolica. Il diritto canonico, infatti, non prevede la nomina di un sostituto in caso di intervento chirurgico o di temporanea indisponibilità del Pontefice.
Nel periodo di riposo, gli organismi della Curia romana continueranno a occuparsi delle attività ordinarie, in attesa della ripresa degli impegni papali.
"Recently, during some checks, doctors found a nodule in my lung. It was identified at a very early stage and was well-localized. The doctors believed it was necessary to intervene, and so, following their advice, I decided to have surgery to remove it. The operation is already scheduled for the next few days," Pope Leo announced last Sunday. Immediately afterward, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni explained that the operation will take place "early next week" and that "the expected post-operative recovery time is about a week."
The presence of a pulmonary nodule "does not necessarily mean you have a malignant tumor, but requires a medical evaluation to determine its cause. Lung nodules are suspicious because they highlight a more or less small area of the lung that appears different from normal. If the nodule is very small, just a few millimeters in size, in most cases immediate intervention is not necessary: they are often benign lesions, which are monitored over time through periodic check-ups. If, however, the nodule approaches or exceeds a centimeter in size, further tests are necessary to determine its nature, usually through a biopsy. After the diagnostic phase, treatment is planned, which often includes surgery." Massimo Di Maio, president of AIOM (Italian Association of Medical Oncology), sheds light on Pope Leo XIV's words.
"The Pope did not provide further details. The fact that the surgery has already been scheduled could indicate that the results of the tests performed are available, but it is not possible to draw conclusions without more precise clinical information," Di Maio emphasized. The Pope spoke of a "circumscribed pulmonary nodule," a "localized lesion. In general, lung tumors, if diagnosed in the early stages, can be surgically treated with the aim of curing them," the oncologist added.
How is a pulmonary nodule discovered? "Its presence is often discovered incidentally, during tests performed for other reasons, such as inflammation or bronchitis. A computed tomography (CT) scan of the chest can, in fact, reveal a previously undetected nodule."
When is it necessary to conduct timely investigations and, if necessary, intervene? "The choice depends on several factors, including the size of the nodule, its radiological characteristics, its possible growth over time, and the patient's general condition. Not all nodules require a biopsy or surgery: in some cases, periodic check-ups are sufficient, while in others, further diagnostic investigations are necessary," emphasizes the leading Italian oncologist. If lung cancer "is detected in an early stage, surgery can be a crucial treatment. When the disease is very early, in some cases, surgery alone, followed by follow-up, may be sufficient," concludes Di Maio.
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