Pope Leo XIV discharged four days after lung surgery

Discharged from Gemelli hospital

Pope Leo XIV left Rome’s Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic on Saturday, four days after an operation to remove the lower lobe of his right lung. He walked unaided to a waiting car and returned to the Vatican. The Vatican had initially anticipated a longer hospital stay.

His doctors, Luigi Carbone and Stefano Margaritora, said he was fit for discharge after considering blood tests, a chest X-ray and his clinical condition. As he was driven away, Leo told a reporter he was feeling “much better”. That remark describes how he said he felt at the time; it does not mean he had fully recovered.

Diagnosis and tests still under way

The operation on Tuesday removed the lower lobe of Leo’s right lung and confirmed adenocarcinoma, a common form of lung cancer. Reports described his post-operative condition as improving, and doctors said he was fit to leave hospital.

Further tests were still under way to determine whether the cancer had spread and whether further treatment would be needed. The results and any subsequent treatment decision were not established in the accounts of his discharge.

Planned engagements during recovery

The Vatican announced that Leo was expected to give the traditional Angelus prayer and blessing from the papal apartment overlooking St Peter’s Square on Sunday. This was a scheduled engagement, not confirmation that it took place. His private audiences had been cancelled through Tuesday, and his schedule was otherwise limited during recovery.

A trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru was planned for 6 to 17 November. The proposed itinerary was expected to involve multiple flights and helicopter journeys. Surgeon Stefano Margaritora said there were “no clinical reasons” at that stage to prevent the trip, while describing recovery as ongoing. His assessment was not a guarantee that Leo would travel; further recovery and test results remained relevant.