What is the diverticular stenosis of the colon for which Pope Francis was operated on | The Grand Pontiff is interned in Rome

In a brief official statement, the Vatican office announced this Sunday morning that the Pope Francis has been admitted to surgery for “diverticular stenosis” of the colon. But what is he responding to? And what are the risks of surgery?

In this regard, the outgoing president of the Argentine Society of Gastroenterology (SAGE), Edgardo Smecuol, explained that the table that determined the need to operate the Grand Pontiff is “Colon stenosis” which is “one of the complications of diverticular disease”.

This disease is characterized by formation in the colon or intestine of “diverticula”, small pockets which are produced by “a herniation of the lining of the intestine through the muscle layer. “The cause of this pathology is still unknown but “We know that it is much more common in the Western population linked to their diet low in fiber and high in refined carbohydrates.”

Diverticula usually affect the colon, “particularly in an area called the sigmoid,” said the now gastroenterologist at CABA’s “C. Bonorino Udaondo” Hospital. “Usually does not cause major health problems in general and very rarely, they can cause complications. The most common are the development of infections or ‘diverticulitis’, bleeding and perforation, “he added.

Stenosis, i.e. constriction or narrowing of the colon -in this case- It can occur due to “repeated episodes of diverticulitis, which generate fibrosis of certain areas of the large intestine causing narrowing” or obstruction. “like a pipe that’s clogged.”

Regarding the symptom, Smecuol explained that the most common cases of colon stenosis are “Pain, swelling or distension of the area before the obstruction, and change in the rate of evacuation, usually towards constipation“.

Possible risks

The specialist assured that the operation of a “symptomatic diverticular stenosis of the colon” it is indeed a “simple intervention”, but a risk factor to consider is age From the religious leader: “In a patient of his age, the complexity can increase.

In the same sense, he assured that surgical resolution of colon sternosis, technically called “stricturoplasty”, is the “safe” option, and indicated that a healthy patient requires a brief hospitalization of only “1 to 2 days”.

As the news alerted the whole world, In the hours leading up to his admission, Pope Francis was very calm. During the Angelus place Saint-Pierre he happily greeted the faithful and informed that he will be visiting Hungary and Slovakia in September.

After that, the Sovereign Pontiff He entered the Gemelli polyclinic in Rome at 2 p.m. (Argentine time), and the hospital had already prepared for his arrival. As reported by the local newspaper The imprint, the medical institution organized a general mobilization in the morning to better organize the structure for the important visit.