Leo XIV is discharged from hospital ahead of schedule after lung cancer surgery

That Leo XIV's recovery was progressing at a good pace was not just a rumor that circulated through the corridors of the Gemelli hospital in Rome. The confirmation came this Saturday morning, when the Vatican announced that the Pope will be discharged from the hospital this afternoon, just four days after a delicate operation in which surgeons removed part of his right lung to eliminate a malignant tumor. Robert Francis Prevost, 71, will return to the Vatican earlier than expected, after doctors have noted a favorable post-operative evolution.

The news represents a considerable advance compared to initial forecasts. When the Pontiff announced his illness last Sunday, the Holy See estimated that he would remain hospitalized for approximately a week. However, the recovery has been rapid enough to allow his return just four days after the intervention. The doctors had insisted that the times would depend on the body's response to the surgery, and the controls carried out in recent days have confirmed a positive evolution.

The Vatican has communicated that the decision to discharge him has been made after the conclusions reached by doctors this morning. Leo XIV will leave the Gemelli in the early afternoon and return directly to the Vatican.

This Sunday he will once again look out of the window of the pontifical apartment of the Apostolic Palace to pray the Angelus before the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square. It will be an especially significant image: from that same window, just a week before, he surprised the world by personally announcing that the doctors had detected a lung nodule and that he had decided to have surgery following their recommendations.

On Tuesday, surgeons removed the lower lobe of his right lung using a video-assisted technique. The intervention, which lasted about 90 minutes, went without complications. Analysis performed during the operation confirmed that it was lung adenocarcinoma, a type of cancer. Since then, medical reports have reported steady improvement. The Pope has quickly regained his mobility, carries out his daily activities with complete autonomy and has even resumed part of his work from his room on the tenth floor of the Gemelli.

The speed of the recovery has fueled optimism in the Vatican, although unknowns remain about the extent of the disease. In particular, the definitive results of the analysis of the lymph nodes are awaited, which will determine whether the cancer has spread beyond the removed tumor and establish whether the Pope will need any additional treatment after the operation and, if so, what type.

The early discharge also does not completely clear up doubts about the demanding trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru scheduled for November 6 to 17. The Holy See has not yet announced any modifications, but the decision will depend on medical recommendations and how the Pontiff evolves in the coming weeks.