A serious scandal has come to light in recent days in Switzerland, as a director of a cardiology clinic at Zurich University Hospital is suspected of being responsible for the deaths of more than 70 patients.
According to foreign media reports, an investigation found that serious ethical violations and sudden deaths occurred in the cardiac surgery department of the University Hospital of Zurich (USZ) from 2016 to 2020. The hospital itself confirmed these errors with an official statement.
The investigation highlights the extremely high mortality rate during this period. According to the data, out of about 4,500 surgical operations, there were 68 to 74 more deaths than would be statistically expected.
During these years, the director of the cardiac surgery clinic in Zurich was the Italian professor, Francesco Maisano. At the center of the scandal is the “Cardioband”, an implant for repairing heart valves, which was produced by a company in which the Italian professor had a stake and was allegedly used inappropriately in 13 cases.
The use of this implant may be linked to the excess number of deaths highlighted in the report. The University Hospital Zurich (USZ) has reported these incidents – in particular the deaths and the inappropriate use of the “Cardioband” device – to the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
