Kate, Princess of Wales has been admitted to hospital for planned abdominal surgery – and now concerned royal fans are wondering what the most common types of abdominal surgery are.

News of Kate Middleton’s admittance to hospital was announced by Kensington Palace, which revealed she’d remain in hospital for between 10 to 14 days.

In a statement it said: “Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales was admitted to The London Clinic yesterday for planned abdominal surgery.”

What is abdominal surgery?

Abdominal surgeries usually include the repair or removal of abdominal tissues and organs.

Common abdominal procedures include those to remove the appendix, gall bladder removal, and hernia repair, according to The University of Tennessee Medical Centre.

In some cases, abdominal operations are carried out to remove malignant tumours and lesions, as well as benign growths, such as lipomas. Lipomas are lumps that form due to an overgrowth of fat cells.

The reason for The Princess of Wales’ surgery has not be announced.

The Palace added in its statement: “[The Princess of Wales] hopes that the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normality for her children as possible; and her wish that her personal medical information remains private.”

Healthcare company MedStar Health also detail possible abdominal surgeries performed by colon and rectal surgeons.

Repair of rectal prolapse

To treat rectal prolapse surgery is usually required. A rectal prolapse is when the last few inches of the bowel become stretched and stick out from the bottom.

There is an increased risk of having a rectal prolapse from vaginal childbirth, long-term constipation and heavy lifting.

The surgery involves pulling the rectum back to its normal place and affixing it to that position.

Small bowel resection

This is surgery to remove Crohn’s disease, cancer, ulcer, benign tumours and polyps.

It involves removal of a portion of the small intestine – a surgeon will remove the diseased parts of the small intestine and sew healthy parts back together.

In some cases, an opening to the outside of the body will be created. This is known as an ostomy.

Total colectomy and total proctocolectomy

A proctocolectomy is the surgical removal of the colon and rectum. A colectomy is the surgical removal of the colon.

Familial polyposis or ulcerative colitis often requires removal of the colon and rectum.

Familial polyposis is an inherited condition that affects the gastrointestinal tract. It can lead to hundreds or thousands of polyps inside the colon or rectum.

Ulcerative colitis is a long-term condition where the colon and rectum become inflamed. The main symptoms are recurring diarrhoea, tummy pain and needing to poo frequently.

Is Kate Middleton’s procedure linked to cancer?

It’s believed the future Queen’s procedure is not linked to cancer.

Royal expert Rebecca English wrote on X that her understanding was that Princess Kate was being treated for a non-cancerous condition.