Pope Leo XIV is recovering well following surgery to remove a cancerous growth from his right lung, the Vatican has confirmed, with doctors reporting normal post-operative progress.

A medical bulletin published by the Vatican a day after the procedure stated that the 71-year-old pontiff is out of bed, walking, eating, and has undergone respiratory physiotherapy.

"The Holy Father underwent respiratory physiotherapy and has begun walking in his room," doctors Luigi Carbone and Stefano Margaritora said, adding that "he resumed his regular diet and had breakfast and lunch."

A blood test and chest X-ray showed results "within the expected range for the type of procedure performed." The doctors concluded: "Recovery is proceeding as planned."

The surgery, which lasted 90 minutes, involved the removal of the lower lobe of the pope's right lung. The Vatican described the procedure as "radical" removal of the lobe, indicating that doctors removed all suspect tissue in an effort to eliminate any remaining traces of cancer. The Vatican said the operation "was successful, and there were no complications."

Tests confirmed a diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma. The Vatican noted the diagnosis had been suspected based on pre-operative tests but did not provide details on the recovery outlook or planned course of treatment. Doctors are not currently discussing chemotherapy or other therapies, pending the results of further tests. The leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics is also awaiting results to determine whether the cancer has spread.

Pope Leo is expected to remain at Rome's Gemelli hospital for approximately one week. All his audiences through October 20 have been cancelled.

Medical experts not connected to the Vatican have offered cautiously optimistic assessments of the pope's condition. A pulmonologist and board member of the American Lung Association described adenocarcinoma as a common cancer with high survival rates when caught early, noting that the decision to proceed with surgery as the first intervention was a positive sign.

"The fact that surgery was the first tool that they utilized is a really good sign," said Dr. Vin Gupta. "It suggests that they think this is early stage."

Gupta also noted that the extent of the procedure was not necessarily cause for alarm. "People have parts of their lungs removed all the time for all sorts of reasons, and they recover just fine," he said. "And in his case, he's pretty robust at baseline from a health standpoint."

A cardiothoracic surgeon at Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City offered a similarly measured outlook, pointing to the minimally invasive nature of the operation.

"He had a minimally invasive surgery," said Dr. Jonathan Villena Vargas. "When we do this, because we do this all the time, most patients are allowed to travel about two weeks after the surgery."

At 71, Pope Leo is reported to exercise regularly, including a weekly tennis game, which doctors suggest will aid his recovery.

The pope had announced over the weekend that he would undergo surgery to address a nodule on his lung. The 90-minute operation resulted in the removal of a larger portion of the lung than the initial announcement had indicated.

Barring any updates from the Vatican, Pope Leo is expected to travel to South America in November, visiting several countries including Peru, where he lived for decades.