Francesca Tucci, a 24-year-old law student, died three days after undergoing elective surgery for Wilkie's syndrome, a rare gastrointestinal disorder, at the Antonio Cardarelli Hospital in Naples, Italy. The Naples Public Prosecutor's Office has opened a manslaughter investigation following a complaint filed by her family.
Details of the Surgery and Deterioration
Francesca sought specialist consultations in Milan and Rome before deciding to undergo the scheduled private operation on June 29. The surgery was performed under Italy's intramoenia system, which allows National Health Service doctors to carry out private work in public hospitals. She had been dealing with abdominal bloating after eating certain foods, caused by compression of the small intestine between the aorta and the superior mesenteric artery.
On the night of July 1, her condition deteriorated rapidly. She began vomiting and repeatedly fainting. A CT scan revealed she needed emergency surgery a second time. The operation was unsuccessful, and Francesca died on July 2, just hours after being transferred to intensive care.
Investigation and Autopsy
Her family filed a complaint on July 3, prompting the manslaughter investigation. Surgeon Felice Pirozzi, along with healthcare professionals Giuseppe Magno and Francesca Duro, have been placed under investigation as a procedural step. An autopsy was carried out on Tuesday.
Francesca's father, Vincenzo, told local media: “It wasn't a life-saving operation. My daughter was well.” The family paid over €10,000 (£8,550) for the procedure, plus €500 (£428) per day for her hospital room. Vincenzo added: “I paid, and despite that, I watched my daughter die.”
University and Family Tributes
Francesca lived in Afragola and was just two exams away from completing her law degree at Parthenope University. The university described her as a “beautiful, cheerful young woman” and “a young life cut short while planning her future with determination and dedication.”
In a statement, her family said: “We believe she was left alone when she needed help most, that she desperately tried to get someone's attention, and that assistance was neither timely nor adequate. For hours, her loved ones waited outside without anyone showing us the basic human decency of giving us answers.”
