Two doctors who conducted an autopsy on Argentine football legend Diego Armando Maradona stated that he was “in agony” and that his heart weighed “almost twice its normal weight” during their testimony in a trial concerning medical negligence that may have contributed to his death.
Mauricio Cassinelli, a forensic doctor who examined Maradona’s body at his residence in Buenos Aires and later performed the autopsy, said that there were “signs of suffering” in the heart.
Cassinelli indicated that Maradona’s pain might have started “at least 12 hours” before his death. He estimated that the autopsy took place between 9:00 AM and 12:00 PM local time (12:00 PM – 3:00 PM GMT) on November 25, 2020.
He also stated that fluid had been accumulating in Maradona’s lungs for “at least ten days” before he died of “heart failure” and “liver fibrosis” following a recent surgery. According to Cassinelli, the medical team should have taken precautions due to these symptoms.
Another doctor, Federico Corasaniti, who also participated in the autopsy, confirmed that Maradona “suffered greatly.” He stated that Maradona’s condition was neither “sudden nor unexpected” and that a simple physical examination would have revealed his deteriorating health.
Cassinelli noted that the autopsy found no traces of “alcohol or toxic substances.” He also pointed out that Maradona’s heart weighed nearly twice the normal weight for an adult, and both his brain and lungs were also heavier than average, with the latter being “filled with fluid.”
Facing charges of “potential homicide” are neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque, psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov, psychologist Carlos Diaz, medical coordinator Nancy Forlini, nursing coordinator Mariano Perroni, doctor Pedro Pablo Di Spagna, and nurse Ricardo Almiro.
The accused face prison sentences ranging from 8 to 25 years in a trial that began on March 11 and is expected to continue until July, with two weekly hearings and testimony from around 120 witnesses.
During the trial’s opening session, prosecutor Patricio Ferrari described the case as an “assassination,” stating that Maradona’s recovery period turned into a “horror show” and accusing the medical team of negligence. The defendants deny responsibility for his death.
AFP
