Agrigento doctors investigated for alleged penile prosthesis fraud

The Agrigento Prosecutor's Office has placed five doctors from the San Giovanni di Dio hospital under investigation for alleged fraud involving penile prosthesis implants. The investigation focuses on over 100 procedures performed between 2018 and 2024 that were reportedly billed to the National Health Service (SSN) despite patients allegedly lacking the clinical requirements for public coverage.

Under current regulations, these high-cost medical devices, which can exceed 8,000 euros each, are typically paid for by patients unless specific criteria are met, such as in oncological cases. Investigators suspect that social media advertising campaigns may have drawn a high volume of patients from outside the Sicily region to undergo these procedures.

The ASP of Agrigento has announced it will join the legal proceedings as a civil party and will report the matter to the Court of Auditors to assess potential damage to public finances. Carabinieri from the NAS of Palermo have already seized 112 clinical records to assist in the ongoing investigation into charges of criminal association, embezzlement, and forgery.