Naples surgeon's lawyers submit new evidence in failed heart transplant case

Defense lawyers for cardiac surgeon Guido Oppido have submitted new evidence to the Naples Court of Review regarding the death of two-year-old Domenico Caliendo. The child died on February 21 following a heart transplant procedure performed on December 23, 2025, at the Monaldi Hospital.

The defense submitted a screenshot from a video recorded in the operating room to contest allegations that the surgery began before the donor heart arrived. The image reportedly shows a healthcare worker accessing the organ container while the cardiectomy was still in progress, which the lawyers argue proves the donor heart was already present in the room during the procedure.

Oppido and six colleagues are under investigation for the failed transplant. The court is currently reviewing this evidence alongside a 533-page expert report to decide whether to overturn a 12-month suspension from medical practice previously ordered by a judge. The court is also expected to rule on the suspension of Emma Bergonzoni, a deputy to Oppido.