A 54-year-old Italian entrepreneur from Camposampiero lost his life in December at the Tirana University Hospital, after undergoing a gastric bypass surgery at "Trita Hospital".
According to Italian media, 54-year-old Massimo Ferro initially contacted a clinic in Milan, where they proposed a trip to Tirana to perform the procedure at a third of the price he would have to pay in Italy.
After the intervention at the private clinic "Trita Hospital" in Tirana, the 54-year-old developed health problems and was taken to the University Hospital Center, where he died on December 22.
To shed light on the incident, the Padua prosecutor, Andrea Girlando, named as suspects the surgeon Andrea Formiga, who works for the “Trita Hospital”, and the dietician Alessandra Freda, both from Lombardy. The investigation revealed that in December, 54-year-old Massimo Ferro had contacted the surgeon via WhatsApp, where information, costs and logistical instructions were provided.
The price of the operation in Tirana was 4,400 euros, much lower compared to the approximately 15,000 euros required in Italy.
According to the complaint of the victim's family, none of the procedures foreseen by the Italian and international guidelines for obesity surgery were respected: there was no prior dietary training, no multidisciplinary assessment, no specific preparation before the operation. The only instruction was to not consume anything the night before the operation.
Despite the 54-year-old having type 2 diabetes and weighing 108 kilograms, pre-operative tests were performed just one day before the surgery in Tirana.
Italian surgeon Andrea Formiga, who operated on the 54-year-old entrepreneur, has been collaborating with the Trita Hospital Health Center in Albania for several years. In a video published on the official website of Trita Hospital, it is written that "Patients call him the miracle doctor."
In addition to Albania, surgeon Formiga is also active in Liguria and other parts of Italy. He would come to Tirana once or twice a month to perform interventions at the Trita Hospital health center.
