The search for a compatible heart for a two-year-old boy in Italy has intensified after a previous transplant failed, leaving the child in critical condition. The boy, who underwent a heart transplant in December, received an organ that was later found to be damaged, prompting a criminal investigation and raising questions about transplant protocols.
Specialists at the Bambino Gesù Pediatric Hospital in Rome have assessed the child’s condition and determined that he may be too ill to undergo another transplant, according to reports. This assessment was made at the request of the Monaldi Hospital in Naples, where the initial transplant was performed and where the boy remains hospitalized.
Despite the concerns raised by the Bambino Gesù hospital, Monaldi Hospital is currently maintaining the boy on the transplant list, with the attending physician believing there remains a clinical possibility for a successful second attempt. This disagreement between medical teams adds to the anguish faced by the child’s family.
The boy has been surviving in a medically induced coma, supported by an ECMO machine for cardiac and pulmonary assistance, since the December surgery. However, the function of his other organs is progressively deteriorating. Hospital officials described his condition as “stable in a picture of severe criticality” on Sunday.
“He is a warrior. And like him, I will not give up. A new heart must arrive to bring him home,” said Patrizia Mercolino, the boy’s mother, following a visit from Cardinal Domenico Battaglia. The family’s lawyer, Francesco Petruzzi, stated that, should a new transplant be possible, it should not be performed by the same surgeon who conducted the first operation, given that the initial surgeon is currently under investigation.
An investigation was launched by the Naples prosecutor’s office after a complaint filed by the family on January 11th. Six healthcare professionals from Monaldi Hospital, involved in the organ procurement in Bolzano and the subsequent transplant in Naples, have been registered as suspects in a case of negligent injury.
Petruzzi has requested a review of the organ’s transportation procedures and an explanation as to why the heart’s condition was not thoroughly evaluated before the surgery. According to the lawyer, dry ice – which can reach temperatures as low as -75 degrees Celsius – was used to preserve the organ instead of traditional ice, potentially causing damage. The Naples NAS Carabinieri unit has seized the transport container for forensic analysis.
Prosecutors Giuseppe Tittaferrante and Antonio Ricci are investigating the possibility of negligent injury. Petruzzi has filed a supplemental complaint and requested an evidentiary hearing regarding the medical records and documentation, including records from multidisciplinary team evaluations of the boy’s health.
Inspectors from the Italian Ministry of Health and the Campania Region are also conducting separate investigations. The hospital administration has stated its full cooperation with the inquiries. Campania Governor Roberto Fico described the situation as “a highly painful, terrible event,” and Health Minister Orazio Schillaci has assured a thorough investigation.
The Bambino Gesù Pediatric Hospital, where a second opinion was sought, is the largest pediatric hospital and research center in Europe and the oldest pediatric hospital in the world, accredited by the Joint Commission International as an academic hospital. It operates multiple facilities across the Rome metropolitan area, including locations in Fiumicino and Santa Marinella.
An interdisciplinary team will reconvene on Monday to reassess the boy’s condition.
