Pope Leo XIV’s surgery confirmed that he has lung cancer and he had the lower lobe of his right lung removed, the Vatican said Tuesday.

The tests confirmed a diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, the Vatican said in a medical bulletin after the surgery. 

It said the diagnosis had been suspected by preoperative tests and was confirmed during surgery.

The 71-year-old pontiff was in the operating room for about 3 hours, the statement said. 

The surgery itself lasted approximately 90 minutes. “The surgery was successful, and there were no complications,” the statement said.

Pope Leo had underwent thoracic surgery at Gemelli Hospital on Tuesday afternoon, as planned, according to a statement from Dr. Luigi Carbone and Prof. Stefano Margaritora, released by the Holy See Press Office.

The surgeons removed the lower lobe of the Pope’s right lung. 

“To ensure a radical resection, the lower lobe of the right lung was removed using a video-assisted technique,” the statement said.

Tissue examined during the operation confirmed the diagnosis suspected from tests conducted beforehand.

“An intraoperative histological examination confirmed the diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, as suspected from the preoperative examinations,” the doctors said.

The Pope was in the operating room for approximately three hours, while the operation itself lasted about 90 minutes. 

The doctors said it was successful and there were no complications.

Pope Leo awoke normally after surgery and, following a brief period of observation, returned to his room on the hospital’s 10th floor, according to the statement.

Prof. Margaritora led the surgical team, assisted by Prof. Elisa Meacci, Dr. Maria Teresa Congedo, and Dr. Leonardo Petracca Caravella.

The anesthesia team comprised Prof. Massimo Antonelli, Dr. Giovanni Punzo, and Dr. Giuseppe Bello. (Vatican News)