Naples, Italy – February 13, 2026 – Six Medical Professionals Investigated After Failed Heart Transplant in Naples
Six individuals, comprising doctors and paramedics, have been officially placed under investigation by the Naples Public Prosecutor’s Office since Thursday, February 12. This action follows a failed heart transplant procedure for a two-year-old boy at Monaldi Hospital. The team involved in the transplant in Naples is facing charges of “culpable injuries.” It has been clarified that not all healthcare professionals suspended by Monaldi Hospital’s management are currently under investigation.
Investigation Focuses on Organ Transport and Hospital Protocols
The inquiry is also examining the decision by Monaldi Hospital’s management to suspend pediatric transplant services after a complaint filed by the child’s parents. The Naples Prosecutor’s Office, led by PM Giuseppe Tittaferrante from the labor and professional negligence section, coordinated by Deputy Prosecutor Antonio Ricci, along with the NAS Carabinieri from Trento and Naples, will analyze adherence to protocols concerning the packaging and overland transport of the organ, which arrived in Naples from Bolzano.
A Race Against Time for Little Tommaso
The parents of two-year-old Tommaso are in a desperate race against time to find a suitable organ from the European pediatric transplant list. The heart initially intended for him, transported from Bolzano, was found to be damaged. “There are no significant developments since yesterday evening; the family awaits a call from the National Transplant Center for a new heart. The child is at the top of the list. It’s a race against time; we just have to hope it arrives in time,” stated lawyer Francesco Petruzzi, representing Tommaso’s family.
Mamma Patrizia, the voice and face of the family, expressed her anguish. “The more hours that pass, the worse I feel, because the doctors told me that the hopes are diminishing. And in fact, I also see it in my son’s face,” she said. The general director of the company, Anna Iervolino, has authorized Patrizia, who has two other children, to remain by her youngest son’s side at all times.
Organ Damage and Previous Exclusion from Transplant List
The transplant, performed on December 23 at Monaldi Hospital, was meant to save the child’s life after he was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy at four months old. However, the implanted heart was reportedly “burned,” possibly damaged during transport from Bolzano. The parents’ complaint suggests the organ may have been improperly preserved, possibly due to excessive ice, which could have frozen parts of it, rendering it unsuitable for transplant.
Attorney Petruzzi further explained, “After a hemorrhage, the child had been excluded from the recipient list but was re-entered after overcoming the crisis. Now it is necessary for an organ to arrive as soon as possible.”
Suspensions and Hospital’s Statement
The head of cardiac surgery, his assistant, and the director of cardiac surgery and transplants have been suspended. The Azienda Ospedaliera dei Colli, which oversees Monaldi Hospital, stated that these measures are a result of the temporary halt of pediatric transplants and do not carry disciplinary implications. Monaldi Hospital has historically been recognized as a center of excellence in cardiac surgery, with Professor Maurizio Cotrufo performing the first heart transplant in central-southern Italy there in 1988.
Investigators are considering whether all procedures, from explantation and packaging in Bolzano to transport and transplant, were carried out according to protocols. The Public Prosecutor’s Office has not ruled out the need for specialized consultants to evaluate the documentation once it is acquired.
Source: Sky TG24 Insider
