Pope Leo XIV Walks and Eats After Lung Cancer Surgery, Doctors Report Normal Recovery

Pope Leo XIV is walking in his hospital room, eating regular meals, and doing respiratory exercises one day after surgeons removed the lower lobe of his right lung, the Vatican said on Wednesday.

Doctors Luigi Carbone and Stefano Margaritora reported that blood tests and a chest X-ray showed values within the expected range for the procedure. The 71-year-old pontiff had breakfast and lunch, the statement said. Recovery is proceeding as planned.

The surgery took place on Tuesday afternoon at Rome’s Gemelli hospital. It lasted about 90 minutes. Surgeons used a video-assisted technique to remove the entire lower lobe of the right lung. Intraoperative tests confirmed lung adenocarcinoma, the diagnosis that preoperative examinations had suggested.

The Vatican said the removal was radical to ensure all suspect tissue was taken. The operation itself produced no complications. Leo awoke normally and returned to a room on the hospital’s 10th floor after a short observation period. He spent a peaceful night, the Holy See Press Office said earlier on Wednesday.

All public audiences have been cancelled through October 20. The pontiff is expected to remain in hospital for about a week. Further tests will determine whether the cancer has spread and whether additional treatment is needed. The Vatican has said doctors are not currently discussing chemotherapy.

Leo announced the discovery of the nodule himself on Sunday during his weekly Angelus in St Peter’s Square. He told the crowd that doctors had found it during a routine check and that he would undergo surgery promptly so as not to delay a planned November trip to Latin America. That itinerary includes Peru, where he served as a missionary and later as bishop for many years.

The disclosure broke with long Vatican practice of limiting detail on papal health. Medical bulletins have named the diagnosis, the procedure, the surgeons, and the daily progress. Crowds gathered outside Gemelli on Tuesday as Leo arrived; he waved from the car window. On Wednesday the focus shifted to the recovery numbers: walking, eating, normal post-operative tests, and respiratory physiotherapy.

Lung adenocarcinoma is the most common form of lung cancer. When caught early and localised, surgical removal of the affected lobe can be curative. Oncologists outside the Vatican have noted that video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery often allows patients to walk within 48 to 72 hours. Full recovery from the operation itself typically takes 15 to 20 days. Whether Leo can keep the South American schedule will depend on the biopsy results and how quickly his lung function returns.

The planned trip runs from 6 to 17 November and covers Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru. It is the longest of his papacy so far. It includes multiple flights, helicopter segments, and a significant altitude change in Peru. Surgeons and the Vatican have not yet addressed whether the itinerary will change.

For the moment the daily updates from Carbone and Margaritora show a patient who is mobile, eating, and clearing post-operative hurdles on the expected timetable. The next medical bulletin will likely address the biopsy and any further therapy. Until then, the concrete record is the one the doctors released on Wednesday: walking, normal diet, normal tests, and recovery on schedule.