JOHN PAUL II WILL UNDERGO SURGERY FOR INFLAMED APPENDIX.Byline: Frances D'Emilio Associated Press To combat ``news, supposition and rumors'' about the pope's health, the Vatican announced Saturday that John Paul II John Paul II, 1920–2005, pope (1978–2005), a Pole (b. Wadowice) named Karol Józef Wojtyła; successor of John Paul I. He was the first non-Italian pope elected since the Dutch Adrian VI (1522–23) and the first Polish and Slavic pope. was suffering from an inflamed appendix and would have surgery later this year. The 76-year-old pope's condition ``is not urgent,'' said Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls. John Paul II will go ahead this week with a hectic, four-day trip to France. No date was set for the appendectomy Appendectomy Definition Appendectomy is the surgical removal of the appendix. The appendix is a worm-shaped hollow pouch attached to the cecum, the beginning of the large intestine. , but Navarro-Valls indicated it would take place sometime after Oct. 6, when John Paul II is scheduled to lead a beatification beatification: see canonization. ceremony in St. Peter's Square. The pope's personal physician, Dr. Renato Buzzonetti, said he and others had ruled out the possibility of an abdominal tumor. John Paul II had surgery in 1992 for what the Vatican said was a benign intestinal tumor. Buzzonetti said the pope's ``transitory episodes of abdominal pain linked with a fever, which have occurred since Dec. 25,'' are caused by ``recurring episodes of inflammation of the appendix.'' The medical team recommending surgery included Francesco Crucitti, who did the tumor surgery and two surgeries in 1981 to repair damage from an abdominal gunshot wound in an assassination Assassination See also Murder. assassins Fanatical Moslem sect that smoked hashish and murdered Crusaders (11th—12th centuries). [Islamic Hist.: Brewer Note-Book, 52] Brutus conspirator and assassin of Julius Caesar. [Br. attempt. The Vatican said it released Buzzonetti's medical assessment to combat ``the news, suppositions and rumors that have been spread in recent weeks.'' In recent months John Paul has often grimaced grim·ace n. A sharp contortion of the face expressive of pain, contempt, or disgust. intr.v. grim·aced, grim·ac·ing, grim·ac·es To make a sharp contortion of the face. in pain and seems to tire easily. Last Christmas, the pope became nauseous nauseous /nau·seous/ (naw´shus) pertaining to or producing nausea. nau·seous adj. 1. Causing nausea. 2. Affected with nausea. while reading holiday wishes to a worldwide TV audience and had to break off. The Vatican then said the pope had ``something like'' the flu. CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: Vatican officials said the pontiff's form of appendi citis ``is not urgent.'' He will take a four-day trip to France starting Thursday. Associated Press |
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