Defense consultant for surgeon Cristiano's death after bariatric surgery testifies in court.

A new hearing took place today before Judge Sergio Enea in the trial against bariatric surgeon Stefano Cristiano. The doctor is charged with manslaughter in connection with the death of Francesco Di Vilio, and with negligent injury and false statements against Angela Iannotta.

During the hearing, the defense's technical consultant, Professor Marco Zappa, was examined, undergoing a lengthy examination lasting over five hours. Professor Zappa was examined by the defendant's defense attorneys, Massimo Damiani and Michela Andresano; Dr. Anna Ida Capone, Deputy Public Prosecutor of the City of the Court; the civil party's defense attorneys, Gaetano and Raffaele Crisileo; and the lawyer for the Villa del Sole Clinic in Caserta, Nando Trasacco.

The comparison between consultants

Professor Zappa, answering questions from the defense attorneys and the parties involved in the proceedings, outlined his technical assessment of the objections raised by the Prosecutor's Office's consultants.

According to the defense consultant, in the case of Francesco Di Vilio, Dr. Cristiano committed no errors in his post-operative management. This position differs from that expressed in previous hearings by the public prosecutor's consultants, who had argued that the patient's transfer to the Antonio Cardarelli Hospital occurred with a significant delay.

The same consultants had also highlighted that the surgery, given its complexity, should not have been performed at the Villa del Sole Clinic, a facility without an intensive care unit.

The death of Francesco Di Vilio

Francesco Di Vilio died on January 1, 2022, at a hospital in Naples following severe necrosis of his internal organs. The patient had undergone three surgeries performed by Dr. Cristiano at the Caserta hospital before being transferred to the Campania capital.

The legal proceedings now aim to clarify any professional responsibilities in the management of the surgery and subsequent complications.

Another conviction for the surgeon

The trial is part of a broader context involving the doctor's professional activity. In recent months, Stefano Cristiano was sentenced to two years in prison for manslaughter by Judge Alessandra Zingales of the Court of Nola, in connection with the death of thirty-year-old Raffaele Arcella from Caivano.

The young man died after gastric bypass surgery performed at the Trusso Clinic.

The Angela Iannotta case

The ongoing trial also remains open regarding Angela Iannotta, who underwent two gastric bypass surgeries performed by the same surgeon. After the operations, she fell into a coma due to necrosis of her internal organs.

The patient subsequently underwent two lifesaving surgeries at Sant'Anna and San Sebastiano Hospital and was then transferred to the Federico II University Hospital, where Professor Francesco Corcione performed a complex internal organ reconstruction procedure that allowed her to survive.

The next hearing

The trial will continue on May 25th. On that date, the court will hear from other technical consultants—Professors Di Filippo, Buonocore, and Gulotta—who will report specifically on Angela Iannotta's medical history.