A kidney specialist told a court near Buenos Aires on Tuesday that Diego Maradona's kidneys showed signs of chronic disease, a red flag his medical team should have heeded, according to testimony in the trial over the Argentine football icon's death at age 60.
Maradona, who led Argentina to the 1986 World Cup title, died on Nov. 25, 2020, at a rented house in the Tigre suburb of Buenos Aires while recovering from surgery to remove a blood clot in his brain. The cause of death was determined to be heart failure and acute pulmonary edema, a condition in which fluid accumulates in the lungs.
Seven health workers — including his personal doctor, psychiatrist, and nurses — are accused of providing grossly negligent medical care. The trial is also examining whether the decision to let Maradona recover at home rather than in a medical facility endangered his life.
According to Trimarchi's testimony, Maradona's kidneys were enlarged and showed lesions linked to his history of obesity, cocaine use, and high blood pressure. He stressed that the patient should have received at least "daily medical checkups, daily nursing care, blood tests, and monitoring of vital signs." However, no blood tests were recorded during the two-week recovery period.
The specialist also noted that Maradona's abnormal weight gain and blood pressure were concerning indicators. In April, the court was shown images of Maradona in bed with a swollen abdomen due to edema. An autopsy revealed he had been in pain for hours before his death.
Trimarchi is the third expert to tell the court that the medical team ignored critical warning signs. The defendants, who could face up to 25 years in prison if convicted, deny responsibility for Maradona's death. The trial is expected to continue at least until September.
