Pope Leo Undergoes Lung Surgery; Vatican Says It Went Well

Pope Leo XIV underwent surgery on Tuesday afternoon to remove a small growth on one of his lungs. The Vatican said the operation went well and as expected, according to Reuters.

The procedure took place at Gemelli Hospital, Vatican News reported. Doctors removed the lower lobe of the pope's right lung during the 90-minute operation.

The pope had been diagnosed with a common form of lung cancer, Reuters reported. The growth was described as small and localized.

Pope Leo had announced the planned surgery himself beforehand. He said doctors had found the nodule, that he had decided to have it removed and that the operation was already scheduled. He described it as well-contained and spotted early.

His recovery was expected to take about a week. The Vatican canceled all of his audiences through Oct. 20.