Bruno Vespa, three surgeries in five hours: the truth about the fall

After the usual summer hiatus for “Porta a Porta,” the new season of the Rai Uno program has resumed with Bruno Vespa as host. What caught viewers’ attention during the interview with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was the journalist’s condition; he appeared with a swollen eye and a bandaged arm.

Vespa himself briefly explained live on air what had happened to him, without going into the details of the accident. “Prime Minister Meloni, I apologize to you and to the audience because I’m not in perfect condition. This morning I took a nasty fall. Fortunately, they operated on me at Gemelli Hospital and got me back on my feet.”

A few days later, Vespa provided a more detailed account of what had happened. Speaking at the Prix Italia, on the sidelines of a meeting with Gianni Letta, the journalist explained that he had fallen while at home doing exercises. While trying to get up, Vespa reportedly slipped on the carpet and hit a sharp corner. “It was a really bad fall, but I was lucky: the eye exam came back perfectly normal,” he said.

The accident caused injuries to his arm and cuts to his face, requiring him to be admitted to the Policlinico Gemelli. After the examinations, the doctors performed surgery on his nose and humerus, and also treated his shoulder. “The team at Gemelli was fantastic; the maxillofacial team also came to my aid. They got me back on my feet in five hours—they operated on my nose, humerus, and shoulder and put me back together perfectly.”