Pope leaves hospital after breaking wrist
Pope Benedict XVI has left the hospital where he underwent surgery after breaking his right wrist in a fall in his Alpine vacation chalet.
The 82-year-old smiled broadly and waved to the crowd with his left hand as he climbed into his car outside the hospital in the north-western Italian town of Aosta. His right arm hung by his side, the cast hidden by his white vestments.
Surgeons performed a 20-minute operation today to reduce the fracture, a procedure to realign the broken bone fragments. The surgery was performed under local anesthesia.
A Vatican statement said the pope fell in his room in a nearby chalet overnight and despite the accident, celebrated Mass and had breakfast before going to the hospital.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies