What kind of surgery is Pope Francis having, and why?

The Vatican says Pope Francis has been admitted to a Rome hospital for abdominal surgery after developing a hernia linked to a 2021 operation. Francis is undergoing a laparotomy to open up his abdomen and confirm the source of his increasing pain. The Vatican said Wednesday that doctors planned to insert a prosthesis while he was under general anesthesia. Francis had a significant portion of his large intestine removed two years ago. Doctors not linked to the pope’s care said hernias were a known complication after previous operations and typically only become problematic when patients develop a bulge in their abdomen and experience significant pain.