Pope Francis 'conscious, alert and joking' after 3-hour abdominal surgery says his surgeon.

Colombo (News 1st) - Pope Francis, 86, is 'conscious, alert and joking' after a successful 3-hour abdominal surgery late Wednesday at Rome's Agostino Gemelli University Hospital, his surgeon said.

“The Holy Father is well, he is awake, alert, and has already joked with me!” Doctor Sergio Alfieri told reporters.

The surgical procedure removed a hernia or scar tissue that had arisen after his colon surgery in 2021, and had been causing him some pain, Dr. Alfieri said.

The hernia was repaired by an “abdominal wall plastic surgery with the aid of a prosthetic mesh” he added. Such surgery usually recovers about seven days in the hospital for recovery.

No malignancies were found in samples examined during the surgery, he said.

The Vatican announced that all scheduled papal audiences have been suspended until June 18.