Pope Francis (R) shakes hand with Director of the department of Abdominal and Endocrine Metabolic Medical and Surgical Sciences at the Gemelli hospital, Rome on June 16, 2023, Photo by Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP
Rome: Pope Francis left hospital on Friday after undergoing a hernia operation and headed to the Vatican, where his health will be under increasing scrutiny ahead of a busy summer.
A smiling Francis left the Gemelli hospital in Rome at 8:45 am (0645 GMT) in a wheelchair, thanking the crowd of well-wishers outside.
The 86-year-old has suffered a series of health issues since his election in 2013, from hip problems, knee pain and weight gain to an inflamed colon and respiratory infection.
The Argentinian underwent a three-hour operation under general anaesthetic on June 7 to remove a painful hernia on the site of a scar from a previous surgery.
It was his third stay in hospital since 2021.
