Pope Leo to be admitted to hospital on Tuesday for lung nodule surgery, Vatican says
ROME and NEW YORK -- Pope Leo XIV will be admitted to a hospital in Rome on Tuesday morning, the Vatican said on Monday, a day after the pontiff said he would undergo surgery for a nodule found on his lung.
The operation was to take place in the "next few days," Leo said on Sunday.
Pope Leo addressed the planned surgery in a statement on social media Sunday morning.
"The doctors believe that it is best to intervene, so, following their advice, I have decided to undergo surgery to remove it," the pope said. "The operation is already scheduled to take place in the coming days. I thank you for your spiritual closeness and entrust myself to your prayers."
A lung nodule, also known as a pulmonary nodule, is a small mass of dense tissue on the lung, according to the American Lung Association (ALA).
Nodules can be caused by a variety of factors including scar tissue, lung irritants, inflammatory conditions, current or past infections, or cancer. Most nodules are benign, according to the ALA. They are diagnosed with imaging tests including an X-ray or a CT scan.
Depending on the size, appearance, growth and cause of nodules, they can be either be monitored regularly by a physician or treated with medication or surgery.
It is unclear which scans the pope underwent.
Dr. Samuel Kim, a professor of surgery at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago, told ABC News owned station WLS that he is optimistic about the pope's health.
"Even at an advanced age, I know the pope is in his 70s, but he's in very good health and active," Kim said. "The pope should be able to have the operation pretty well and recover. So, I'm very optimistic about the prognosis for our pope."
