CARDIOCHIRURGIA: buon compleanno al prof. Di benedetto

Aldo Bianchini

SALERNO –  Nella vita ci sono momenti e momenti. Ci sono momenti di successi e momenti di insuccessi, ci sono momenti gioiosi e momenti catastrofici. Insomma nella vita di ognuno queste fasi si alternano sempre e comunque. In queste ore per il prof. Giuseppe Di Benedetto, primario della divisione di cardiochirurgia dell’ospedale San Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi d’Aragona di Salerno, è senza dubbio alcuno un “momento gioioso” che ripaga anni e anni, decenni, di sacrifici, di impegno professionale, di dedizione assoluta al giuramento di Ippocrate. Esattamente ventiquattro anni fa, il 27 ottobre 1990, alla giovanissima età di 44 anni il cardiochirurgo Giuseppe Di Benedetto vinceva alla grande il concorso come “Primario di cardiochirurgia” di quel reparto (oggi divisione) che l’allora USL/53 si apprestava ad organizzare. Un concorso pubblico svoltosi nientemeno che a Padova proprio alla corte di quel famoso Lucio Parenzan che fin dal primo momento aveva allevato il giovane medico divenuto presto cardiochirurgo. Un gruppo di candidati di tutto rispetto: Prof. Gaetano Azzolina, Prof. Luigi Zingone di Torino, Prof. Massimo Villani di Trieste e il prof. Paolo Arciprete,oltre ad altri meno noti concorrenti per un posto dirigenziale ambitissimo perché nasceva dal nulla e poteva essere lanciato sulla base delle specifiche capacità professionali e organizzativo/aggregative del vincitore. Ebolitano d’origine, il fresco vincitore del concorso piombò subito a Salerno ed incurante delle violentissime polemiche politiche scatenate dalla DC (Democrazia Cristiana) contro il PSI (Partito Socialista Italiano) si mise subito al lavoro, senza mezzi e senza certezze per il futuro dell’istituenda “divisione cardiochirugica                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           “, e sorprese tutti per il suo spirito battagliero non disgiunto da un’ottimo senso dell’organizzazione a livello manageriale (una parola che all’epoca incominciava ad affacciarsi nella vulgata settoriale della enorme pletora dei dirigenti pubblici). Il soprendente Di Benedetto travolse uomini e cose ed in men che non si dica riuscì ad allestire le prime strutture cardiochirurgiche che non avevano, ovviamente, nessuna somiglianza con le strutture tecnologicamente avanzate di oggi. Fu anche molto presente, senza mai tracimare i giusti confini del corretto rapporto, nel mondo della comunicazione supportato con grandi capacità mediatiche dalla moglie Liliana Verdoni che abbandonò presto l’attività di giornalista nel Nord Italia per dedicarsi prima al fidanzato e poi al marito cardiochirurgo. Pochi mesi dopo essere giunto a Salerno venne ospite nella mia trasmissione “Omnibus” (antesignano dei tanti attuali locali talk show) sulle frequenze di Tv Oggi, e venne accompagnato addirittura dal suo grande amico Ugo Filippo Tesler che all’epoca era primario cardiochirurgo a Potenza e dove lo stesso Di Benedetto era stato “primo aiuto”, I due notissimi cardiochirurghi vennero per spiegare alla città cosa stava per nascere nell’ospedale comunemente detto “di San Leonardo”. Grazie ancora per quella presenza illuminante. E venne alla luce il “miracolo cardochirurgico salernitano”, dovuto tutto alla caparbietà ed alla professionalità di Di Benedetto che inaugurò la struttura il 15 febbraio 1993 avendo “ai suoi ordini” (si fa per dire !!), per venti posti letto, due aiuti (Severino Iesu e Franco Triunbari), sei assistenti (Rocco Leone, Paolo Masiello, Generoso Mastrogiovanni, Antonio Panza, Domenico Petrielle, Antonio Romiti), 4 cardioanestesisti diretti dal dott. Isidoro Senese (Carmela D’Auria, Enrico Grassi, Giuliano Naimoli, Gabriella Talento), tre caposala (Maria Graziosi, Gerardo Montalbano, Anna Fraiese) e 35 infermieri. Il primo intervento ufficiale è fissato dalla storia alla data del 1° aprile 1993, un pesce d’aprile in grande stile, anzi nello stile di Giuseppe Di Benedetto. In verità già altri interventi erano stati effettuati in precedenza, ma su questi ci soffermeremo alle scadenze giuste. Il primario Di Benedetto giunse a Salerno con tutte le carte in regola; si era laureato giovanissimo in medicina presso l’Università di Perugia, poi si era trasferito alla corte di Parenzan a Bergamo e si era specializzato presso l’università di Padova. Aveva frequentato corsi e tirocini presso i maggiori centri cardiochirugici dell’Europa e dell’America. Dal 74 all’86 si era spostato in continuazione tra Washington e Londra presso l’ospedale dei bambini G.O.S.; poi era stato primario di cardiochirurgia dell’ospedale di Bonn in Germania. Infine fino alla vincita del concorso era stato “primo aiuto” di Tesler a Potenza; insomma, come dire, la via di avvicinamento a Salerno era stata lunga e piena di successi. Finalmente in quella giornata di ventiquattro anni fa il suo sogno si realizzava, e da allora è il primario della cardiochirurgia salernitana, onore e vanto per la Città e per tutta la nostra comunità. Conoscendolo bene, credo di poter affermare che in queste ore mentre pensa a nuovi ed importanti traguardi professionali il suo cuore è vicino ai suoi colleghi di Potenza che stanno vivendo momenti meno gioiosi del suo. Tanti sinceri auguri “prof” da tutta la nostra comunità, e non solo.