Pope Francis leaves Rome hospital 10 days after undergoing colon surgery

Pope Francis has left hospital, 10 days after an operation to remove half his colon.

The 84-year-old pontiff briefly got out of the car carrying him back to the Vatican as it reached the Perugino Gate, greeting security guards.

Before that he stopped to pray at Rome’s Santa Maria Maggiore basilica.

He had wanted to “express his gratitude for the success of his surgery and offer a prayer for all the sick, especially those he had met during his stay in hospital”, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said.

The Pope had surgery at Rome’s Gemelli hospital on 4 July to tackle a severe narrowing of his large intestine.

Following the three-hour procedure he was in “good condition, alert and breathing on his own”, the Vatican said.

It is the only major operation he has undergone since accepting the papacy in 2013.