Pope Leo XIV entered Rome's Gemelli hospital on Tuesday to undergo surgery for the removal of a lung nodule.. The 71-year-old American pontiff is seeking to determine if the lesion is malignant during a procedure that will require a week of hospitalization.
Dr. Stefano Margaritora and the Quest for a Benign Diagnosis
The surgical team at Gemelli hospital is being led by chief thoracic surgeon Dr. Stefano Margaritora. According to the report, this operation marks the first publicly disclosed major health crisis of Pope Leo XIV's 17-month papacy. The pontiff has maintained a rare level of transparency, announcing the discovery of the localized nodule during his Sunday noon prayer.
Medical experts, including Dr. Lorenzo Spaggiari of the European Institute of Oncology (EIO) in Milan, suggest that the prognosis for Pope Leo XIV is "excellent" provided the nodule was caught at an early stage. If the surgical team finds that the lymph nodes draining the area are negative, the condition would be classified as stage one, requiring no further treatment beyond the initial removal.
The Role of ION and da Vinci Robotic Systems
While the specific technique for Pope Leo XIV has not been confirmed, the medical team has access to cutting-edge robotic tools. Dr. Lorenzo Spaggiari noted that the ION robotic bronchoscopy technology can perform biopsies on nodules as small as 3 millimeters. This allows for a highly precise diagnosis before the actual removal of the lung section occurs.
For the surgery itself, Gemelli hospital utilizes the da Vinci robot, which requires only four small incisions in the chest. As the report says, this minimally invasive approach provides surgeons with high-definition 3D views of the site and is a well-established technology used for two decades. The combined biopsy and removal process can typically be completed in under four hours.
A 31,000-Kilometer Journey to Latin America
The timing of the surgery is specifically designed to protect a massive diplomatic itinerary. Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to visit Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru from November 6 to 17. This trip would be the longest of his papacy, covering over 31,000 kilometers across a dozen flights and two helicopter trips.
However, the recovery timeline remains tight. The European Institute of Oncology typically advises patients to avoid flying for three weeks following thoracic surgery. This window leaves Pope Leo XIV with just enough time to recover before his November 6 departure, though the significant altitude changes in Peru may pose an additional physiological challenge to his recovering lungs.
From 1985 Typhoid Fever to the Papacy
This hospitalization echoes a pivotal moment in the early life of Pope Leo XIV. In 1985, while serving as a young missionary priest in Chulucanas, Peru, the future pontiff was hospitalized with typhoid fever. This experience served as a spiritual catalyst, leading him to commit to a life of poverty and discomfort in Peru rather than returning to the comforts of Rome.
Today, the 71-year-old Pope Leo XIV is described as being in good physical condition, maintaining a routine of weekly swimming and tennis. This current health scare stands in contrast to the "horrible" pain he described during his 1985 illness, a period he later reflected upon in a 2025 biography by Elise Ann Allen.
Why the 10th-Floor Papal Apartment is Unavailable
In a surprising logistical detail, the Vatican press office confirmed that Pope Leo XIV will not be staying in the traditional papal apartment on the 10th floor of Gemelli hospital. The suite, which includes a private chapel for the pontiff , is currently undergoing renovations, forcing the Pope to stay in a nearby standard room.
This situation leaves a few critical points unverified. It remains unclear who is overseeing the renovations of the papal suite or why the work was scheduled during a period of potential health instability. Furthermore, while Tokyo Cardinal Kikuchi Tsutomu stated the Pope felt "fine," the Vatican has not yet clarified if the November trip will be scaled back if the biopsy returns a malignant result.
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