Pope Francis spent another peaceful night in hospital, the Vatican said on Friday, two days after the pontiff underwent abdominal surgery that doctors say went as planned.

The surgeon who operated on Francis to treat a painful abdominal hernia said the 86-year-old pope was likely to remain hospitalized for at least five days.

Pope Francis was recovering well in a Rome hospital on Thursday, the day after the 86-year-old had abdominal surgery that renewed health fears.

Pope Francis is resting comfortably after a three-hour surgery on his abdominal wall where he did not face complications, the Vatican said on Thursday.

Pope Francis has spent a peaceful night in the hospital after undergoing a successful three-hour operation to remove intestinal scar tissue and repair an abdominal hernia. (AP Video: Paolo Santalucia)

Pope Francis is recovering from abdominal surgery this week in the same hospital room where St. John Paul II was treated throughout his pontificate.

Pope Francis awoke Thursday after a good first night in the hospital following a three-hour operation to remove intestinal scar tissue and repair a hernia in his abdominal wall, problems that developed following previous surgeries.