Pope Francis leaves hospital nine days after surgery

Pope Francis was discharged from hospital on Friday morning, nine days after he underwent surgery to repair an abdominal hernia.

Francis, 86, left Rome's Gemelli hospital in a wheelchair, waving to reporters and well-wishers at the main entrance as he was taken to a waiting car.

"The pope is well. He is in better shape than before," Sergio Alfieri, the chief surgeon who operated on Francis on June 7, told reporters outside the hospital after the pontiff left.

Alfieri said the pope was well enough to travel. Francis has trips planned for Portugal at the start of August and Mongolia at the end of that month.

His engagements have been cancelled until June 18.

The pope traditionally takes all of July off, with the Sunday blessings being his only public appearances, so he will have next month to rest before the August trips.