The Naples investigating judge has ordered the suspension from practicing medicine of cardiac surgeon Guido Oppido and his assistant Emma Bergonzoni, who on December 23, 2025, performed the failed heart transplant on little Domenico Caliendo, who died on February 21 at Monaldi Hospital.
The two were suspended for 12 and 7 months, respectively, on charges of material and ideological forgery in connection with the compilation of the child's medical records. The requests of the Prosecutor's Office, which coordinated the NAS investigation, were therefore granted.
According to the NAS Carabinieri and the Naples Prosecutor's Office, they allegedly stated untrue information in the heart transplant surgery report. According to the judicial authorities, they falsely stated, in the days following the procedure, that they had performed cannulation and extracorporeal circulation procedures when the team performing the transplant in Bolzano reached Monaldi Hospital. Investigations revealed this to be untrue. In essence, the operations had begun before the team's arrival at the hospital in Naples. Assisted by their respective lawyers, Dr. Guido Oppido (preventively suspended by the Colli Hospital) and his deputy, Emma Bergonzoni, were questioned on March 31 and May 21.
In addition to the crime of forgery, both were also charged with manslaughter, along with five other doctors.
Meanwhile, on June 10, the preliminary investigation ordered by investigating judge Mariano Sorrentino into the child's two hearts concluded: the one frozen from Bolzano due to dry ice, and Domenico's diseased heart. The filing of the reports on the examinations performed by the panel of experts appointed by the judicial authorities, scheduled for September, could be postponed by 15-20 days, until mid-October, at the experts' request. All the consultants appointed by the suspects and the Caliendo-Mercolino family also participated in the examinations, which took place at the Bari Polyclinic. Upon completion of the analyses performed on the histological samples, the Caliendos' medical examiner announced that the tests revealed signs of necrosis caused by low temperatures and also those caused by prolonged use of ECMO, the device that allows extracorporeal circulation.
(Unioneonline)