Coptic Church leader undergoes surgery

Cleveland: Pope Shenouda III, the leader of Egypt's Coptic Orthodox Church, had surgery on Thursday to repair a broken thigh bone suffered in a fall at his Cairo home.

The surgery on his left femur lasted one hour at the Cleveland Clinic.

Rehabilitation

"The surgery was successful, and he is recovering well," said Dr Wael Barsoum, an orthopaedic surgeon at the research hospital. "He will remain in the hospital for approximately one week and then receive physical rehabilitation as a part of his recovery."

Shenouda, 84, fell in his bedroom Monday evening and was flown to Cleveland on Wednesday aboard an ambulance plane provided by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

In 2006, Shenouda had spinal surgery at the Cleveland Clinic and last year he made several trips to the United States to have back problems treated.

Community

The Coptic community makes up about 10 per cent of Egypt's population of 77 million, making it the largest Christian community in the Middle East. Shenouda has led the church since 1971.