A 55-year-old cardiovascular surgeon has been arrested in Alicante following the death of his 94-year-old father, who died from sepsis after a home amputation of several toes.
According to police and judicial sources, the incident took place over the August long weekend while the elderly man, who normally resided in a nursing home, was staying at his son’s house.
When he returned to the residence, staff noticed he was missing several toes and had poorly treated wounds. Alarmed, they transferred him to Sant Joan Hospital, where his condition quickly deteriorated. He was later moved to Alicante General Hospital, where he died on Tuesday afternoon.
Investigators revealed that the victim suffered from circulatory problems and early signs of gangrene. His son, instead of taking him to a medical facility, chose to amputate the affected toes himself in the kitchen of his home, in the presence of his teenage children.
The lack of sterile conditions is believed to have caused a severe infection that rapidly advanced to sepsis, worsened by the patient’s age and frailty.
Hospital staff became suspicious when an unidentified relative initially refused to provide details about the patient’s condition. The case was reported to the Civil Guard, though the National Police later took over as the events occurred within their jurisdiction.
Officers confirmed that the victim had three toes amputated from one foot and two from the other.
Following the man’s death, homicide officers from the Specialized and Violent Crime Unit (UDEV) arrested the surgeon.
Investigators stress that his professional background as a cardiovascular surgeon means the case could be treated as intentional homicide rather than simple negligence, as he was fully aware of the risks of carrying out such a procedure outside of proper medical facilities.
The judicial investigation is now focused on determining why the doctor chose to operate on his father at home, a decision that ultimately proved fatal.
