New developments have emerged in the investigation into the transport of a heart intended for transplant, which was allegedly stored in a non-sterile container after removal. Before investigators, a healthcare worker from the South Tyrolean Health Authority hospital reconstructed the immediate aftermath of the operation, claiming to have acted according to the instructions of the surgical team from Naples.
According to the Alto Adige newspaper, the nurse admitted to personally pouring the ice into the container intended to preserve the organ, but specified that all operations had been agreed upon with the doctors.
The non-sterile container: "He asked me for a plastic jar."
The report reveals a key point in the investigation. After the removal, the surgeon allegedly asked for a plastic container to store the heart. The healthcare worker explained that the facility lacked suitable, sterile containers.
At that point he would have shown the doctor some jars normally used for histology, used to preserve anatomical samples and not intended for sterile procedures.
“He said it was fine, so I gave it to him,” the OSS told investigators.
The ice and organ transport issue
Another issue under scrutiny concerns the organ's cold storage. The nurse said he was notified when the ice was ready and personally brought it to the operating room.
"I showed the surgeon the Styrofoam box and said, 'We have this.' I asked her if it was OK, and she said yes," he reportedly said during the interrogation.
According to the reconstruction, the Neapolitan team also had a transport container similar to a camping icebox, in which the ice had already partially melted.
"Interventions stopped even for less": doubts about procedures
The minutes also include a reflection from the healthcare worker on the management of the procedure. The nurse emphasized that, in his professional experience, surgical procedures are suspended or postponed when optimal conditions or all the necessary equipment are not guaranteed.
This circumstance now raises further questions about the checks carried out before the transplant and the chain of responsibility between the various teams involved.
Hospital workshop coordinator moved
Meanwhile, according to a local newspaper, the coordinator of the internal workshop at Bolzano hospital has reportedly been transferred to another position within the healthcare facility, a decision made while the administrative and judicial investigations continue.
The stages of the investigation
The investigation stems from the management of a heart removed for transplant and the manner in which it was stored and transported after removal. The investigation focuses on the use of a non-sterile container, the quality of the ice used for storage, and the availability of appropriate equipment at the time of the procedure.
Investigators are reconstructing the decision-making process between local healthcare workers and the surgical team from Naples to determine who authorized the disputed procedures and whether clinical protocols and safety regulations were violated.
The nurse's statements now represent a key step in the investigation, as they attribute the surgical decisions to the indications of external surgeons, opening a potential conflict of responsibility between the various parties involved in the complex healthcare operation.
Changes and revisions to this article
- Article updated on 27/02/2026 at 10:27 PM - Content structure updated
Source EDITORIAL TEAM
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