 He slowly began to improve and he returned to Naples in May, 1921 to recuperate from the most serious of the operations, during which part of a rib had been removed.According to Dorothy Caruso, he seemed to be recovering, but allowed himself to be examined by an unhygienic local doctor and his condition worsened dramatically after that.The Bastianelli brothers, eminent medical practitioners with a clinic in Rome, recommended that his left kidney be removed.