Pope Francis undergoing medical procedure on intestine, the Vatican reveals

He is expected to undergo a general anaesthetic procedure to remove an abdominal hernia, with the surgery coming 24 hours after the pontiff had medical tests at a Rome hospital.

It’s understood the hernia is causing “recurrent, painful and worsening” symptoms, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said in a statement.

“In the early afternoon he will undergo a laparotomy and abdominal wall surgery … under general anaesthesia,” Mr Bruni said.

A laparotomy is a surgical incision into the abdominal cavity.

“The stay at the health facility will last several days to allow the normal post-operative course and full functional recovery,” the Vatican said.

The 86-year-old led his weekly general audience as usual on Wednesday, before preparing to head to the Gemelli for the surgery.

His visit to the hospital comes after the pope underwent scans on Tuesday morning, AFP reports.

It’s understood that the tests were planned, and comes after Pope Francis was admitted to hospital at the end of March with bronchitis.

The pope spent three nights in hospital at the time, before returning to the Vatican for Easter services.

Following his stay, Pope Francis was asked how he felt, to which he replied: “I am still alive!”, according to AFP.

He has undergone similar surgery on his intestines in the past, with doctors removing 33 cm of his colon due to inflammation and narrowing of the large intestine two years ago.

He also suffers persistent pain in his right knee and sciatica, which causes pain in the buttock and leg and is often caused by nerve pressure in the lower back, a slipped disc or some form of arthritis.

Sometimes the pain is so unbearable in his knee, Pope Francis needs to rely on a wheelchair to get around.

The onset of health issues in the last year have raised doubts about whether the pope will be able to continue his decade-long reign as leader of 1.3 billion Catholics worldwide.

Some have questioned whether he will retire early like his predecessor Benedict XVI, who quit in 2013 due to failing health before passing away in December last year.

But despite these concerns, Pope Francis doesn’t seem phased, saying last month his health was improving.

“I can walk now. My knee has been mending. I could hardly walk beforehand. Now I can. Some days are more painful than others,” the pope told Spanish network Telemundo.

He also continues to uphold his duty to travel, with his next tour scheduled for August where he will be visiting Lisbon for World Youth Day for three days.

“At my age and with this limitation, I have to save myself a little bit to be able to serve the Church,” he said in May.

“Or, alternatively, to think about the possibility of stepping aside.”

Benedict XVI, who died on December 31 aged 95, surprised the world in 2013 when he announced he was stepping down, a radical move not taken by a pope since the Middle Ages.