Seven months. That was how long a 53-year-old Italian woman, originally from Casandrino and living in the province of Piacenza, lived with surgical scissors more than 15 centimeters long lodged in the subcutaneous area of her abdomen, without anyone giving her an explanation.
It all began on October 20, 2025, when the patient underwent an abdominoplasty at the private clinic Villa delle Querce, in Naples. She was discharged five days later. The following weeks brought intense abdominal pain, recurrent fainting, and persistent infections. Every time she sought medical attention, the surgeon in charge attributed the symptoms to normal postoperative effects. There were no additional tests. There were no alarms. On May 7, 2026, a CT scan at a diagnostic center in Naples precisely showed the metallic object. What the scan revealed left those who saw it speechless.
She was successfully operated on at the Fatebenefratelli hospital in Naples. The family refused to have the removal performed at the same clinic where the error occurred, a decision that took on another dimension when it became known that the surgeon’s wife had personally contacted the patient to convince her to return. Her daughter Emilia told the media that having her alive was a miracle. The patient filed a criminal complaint against the surgeon and has the legal support of the Domenico Caliendo Foundation, which specializes in medical negligence.