Pope Leo was diagnosed with a common form of lung cancer after doctors removed ​a lower lobe of his right lung in surgery on Tuesday, the Vatican said in a medical bulletin.

The 71-year-old pontiff ‌has lung adenocarcinoma, with tissue tests conducted during the operation confirming what doctors had suspected from preparatory examinations, the bulletin said.

The pope was admitted to Rome's Gemelli hospital on Tuesday for surgery to remove a growth on his lung that doctors found in a recent health checkup.

The Vatican had said earlier on Tuesday evening that the ​surgery had been successful before providing a more detailed update from the pope's lead surgeon, Professor Stefano Margaritora, the chief of ​thoracic surgery at the Gemelli.

"In order to make the procedure curative, the lower lobe of the right lung was ⁠removed using a video-assisted technique," said Margaritora's update.

"A rapid intraoperative histological examination confirmed the diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, as had been suspected from ​the pre-operative tests," it said.

Tuesday's surgery lasted about 90 minutes and was successful with no complications, the Vatican said. The pope has woken up normally ​and is resting in his hospital room.