Pope Leo XIV admitted to Rome hospital for lung nodule surgery

Pope Leo XIV entered a Rome medical center Tuesday for procedure to excise a lung mass. Doctors will test the tissue to learn if cancer is present. The pontiff walked inside through the front doors. He waved to supporters gathered outside.

The Vatican said the operation was set for the afternoon. Chief thoracic surgeon Dr. Stefano Margaritora led the surgical team. The 71-year-old American pope disclosed the small, localized nodule during his Sunday prayer.

It was not known for certain what surgical technique would be used on Leo. Oncologists said his prognosis remains excellent even if the growth is cancerous. Early detection aids treatment.

The procedure requires a weeklong hospital stay. The Vatican canceled audiences through Oct. 20. Dr. Lorenzo Spaggiari heads thoracic surgery at the European Institute of Oncology in Milan. He does not treat the pontiff.

“These are things that can be treated very well, if the words he used reflect the clinical situation,” Spaggiari said.

Tokyo Cardinal Kikuchi Tsutomu met with Leo on Monday. Tsutomu stated the pope felt fine. Leo wanted quick treatment to protect travel plans.

Leo stayed in a regular room instead of the papal apartment on the 10th floor. The Vatican press office said that suite is undergoing renovations. The site includes a private chapel.

Surgeons evaluate robotic tools for procedure

Spaggiari said he expected the team to run a biopsy first. Surgeons would then remove a lung section or lobe. Robotic tools could handle both steps under one anesthesia session.

A robotic bronchoscopy system called ION tests nodules as small as 3 millimeters. Both the Milan facility and the Rome hospital possess the tool. Italy gained access to it two years ago.

The da Vinci robot uses four small chest incisions. The surgeon guides robotic arms while viewing a 3D screen. The surgical mortality risk ranges from 0.6% to 0.8%.

The biopsy risk is virtually zero, Spaggiari said. The hospital documented finishing both robotic steps in under four hours. The facility will also test lymph nodes.

“If all those lymph nodes turn out to be negative, so stage one, then the outlook is very good,” Spaggiari said.

Routine checks revealed the nodule, according to the Vatican. Spaggiari called the discovery lucky. The patient showed no symptoms.

Pontiff plans South America trip in November

The Milan institute advises patients to avoid flights for three weeks after surgery. Leo faces a Nov. 6-17 trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru. The ambitious trek spans 31,000 kilometers.

The journey involves several travel segments:

• 12 airplane flights across South America
• Two separate helicopter trips
• Significant altitude changes in Peru

Tsutomu addressed the health concern online. He urged calm regarding the pontiff.

“He has decided to undergo surgery soon in order to not change his plans for future overseas trips, so there is no need to worry, as it is not an emergency,” Kikuchi wrote on the Facebook page of the Tokyo archdiocese.

The stay marks the second known hospitalization for Leo. He plays tennis and swims weekly. He suffered typhoid fever in 1985 in Chulucanas, Peru.

Elise Ann Allen recorded his account in a 2025 book, “Pope Leo XIV: The Biography.” Leo said the fever brought horrible pain while on an intravenous line.

“Obviously, I survived; I recovered, but it turned out to be a very significant moment for me, because it was like, ’Well, you’ve already dealt with the illness; you already see what the needs are here , the order, the Augustinians, the church are telling you, ‘We need you here; go for it.’ I never looked back.”

A lung nodule is an abnormal spot under 3 centimeters wide found during scans. Doctors often discover the tissue during examinations for trauma or lung infections. Surgical removal provides tissue for testing and extracts the spot.

The Roman Catholic leader previously lived in Rome before his assignment in South America. His recovery schedule now determines whether his Latin American travel proceeds as planned.