Naples heart surgeons banned for 12 and 7 months after two-year-old dies from transplant of dry-ice-damaged organ

A transplant that turned fatal

On 23 December 2025, an équipe from the Monaldi hospital in Naples travelled to the San Maurizio hospital in Bolzano to retrieve a compatible donor heart for Domenico Caliendo, a two-year-old child. The organ was placed in a thermal container for the return journey. Instead of being kept at the standard temperature with ordinary ice, it was packed with dry ice. The resulting thermal shock destroyed the heart tissue, effectively burning it. When the damaged heart was opened in the Naples operating theatre, the surgical team led by Oppido and Bergonzoni had already begun removing the child’s own diseased heart. Domenico was left without a functioning organ and was kept alive on extracorporeal circulation for nearly 60 days. He died on 21 February 2026 at the Monaldi hospital.

The disputed records

Investigators from the Carabinieri’s anti-falsification unit (NAS) and the Naples public prosecutor’s office allege that Oppido and Bergonzoni later falsified the boy’s medical record. According to the judicial authority, they attested that certain steps—specifically cannulation and the start of extracorporeal circulation—were performed after the transplant team returned from Bolzano, when instead the operations had already begun before the team’s arrival. The two doctors are charged with material and ideological falsehood committed in concert. The preliminary investigations judge, Mariano Sorrentino, accepted the prosecution’s request and banned Oppido from practice for 12 months and Bergonzoni for seven months.

Legal proceedings and family reaction

In a 70-page order, the judge described Guido Oppido as “a bully,” marking the first time the concept of dolus has surfaced in the case, according to the family’s lawyer. Francesco Petruzzi, representing the Caliendo-Mercolino family, described the bans as the maximum allowed under the code and said they give hope that the measure will hold on appeal. He added that Domenico’s mother, Patrizia, was deeply moved by what she sees as a first moment of truth.

“The fact that the judge has applied the maximum duration provided by the code for this precautionary measure makes us confident that the measure will stand before the review court. It is the first time that intentional conduct has been recognised and sanctioned in these proceedings. I know that the judge defined Dr Guido Oppido as a bully.”

The bans were served by NAS carabinieri. Oppido had already been placed on preventive suspension by the Azienda Ospedaliera dei Colli. He and Bergonzoni underwent preliminary questioning on 31 March and 21 May respectively. In addition to the falsification charges, both are under investigation for culpable homicide together with five other doctors. The case has stirred the nation; Premier Giorgia Meloni personally called the boy’s mother to express solidarity and promised justice.

The investigation and next steps

An evidentiary procedure ordered by Judge Sorrentino on the two hearts—the frozen donor organ and Domenico’s own diseased heart—concluded on 10 June. The expert examinations were performed at the Policlinico di Bari, where consultants for the defendants and the family were also present. Histological analyses, according to the family’s medical examiner, revealed signs of necrosis caused by low temperatures as well as damage from prolonged use of the ECMO machine that maintained extracorporeal circulation. The experts’ reports are due to be filed in September, with a possible 15- to 20-day extension to mid-October at the request of the court-appointed experts.

A subsequent inspection by regional authorities revealed that the Monaldi hospital possessed three purpose-built technological boxes for safe organ transport, yet the medical team either did not know about them or did not use them. The investigation remains open as prosecutors continue to examine the chain of events that led to the death of Domenico Caliendo.