Pope discharged after successful surgery on wrist broken during fall at his holiday chalet in the Italian Alps

The pope has left hospital after surgery on a wrist broken during a fall at his holiday chalet in the Italian Alps.

Pope Benedict, 82, 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 to reduce the fracture, a procedure to realign the broken bone fragments. The surgery was performed under local anaesthetic.

A Vatican statement said the pope fell in his room in a nearby chalet overnight. Despite the accident, he celebrated mass and had breakfast before going to hospital.

The Ansa news agency reported that he had arrived at the hospital by car and walked into the first-aid ward accompanied by an aide.

Benedict XVI has been healthy during his five-year pontificate. The pontiff has been staying at a chalet in the village of Les Combes, in the Valle d’Aosta region near the French border, since Monday.

His predecessor, Pope John Paul II, also spent several summers at Les Combes. While John Paul liked to hike, Benedict spends most of his time inside the chalet, which looks out on Mont Blanc, the highest peak in the Alps.

Pope Benedict has spent two summers at Les Combes in recent years, and said upon arrival that he expected to rest and work during his vacation.

The pope is due to be away until 29 July, making at least two public appearances in the Valle d’Aosta area, including the traditional Angelus prayer on Sunday. He is expected to stick to his schedule despite the accident.