Why is Paolo Macchiarini called the disgraced Italian surgeon? Explained

After the Peacock series Dr. Death season 2 and ABC’s The Con, Paolo Macchiarini is now the subject of a Netflix documentary. Titled Bad Surgeon: Love Under the Knife, the three-part docuseries will deal with the controversial Swiss-born Italian thoracic surgeon who became “world famous for his revolutionary stem cell-infused windpipe transplants,” as the streamer puts it.

“There's just one problem: His patients keep dying,” Netflix added. The trailer for the same showed how Paolo Macchiarini left people divided.

While some called him a “monster” and “killer,” others thought him to be a “genius.” Head to Netflix and decide for yourself what Paolo Macchiarini actually is.

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What was Paolo Macchiarini charged with?

Dr. Paolo Macchiarini shot into the limelight for esophageal transplants, where he used a patient’s stem cells to cover plastic replacement parts. The way he pitched this experimental operation convinced not only his patients but also journalists and colleagues.

But eventually, when seven out of his eight patients died, the world could see beyond the doctor’s charm.

He became infamous for research fraud, scientific misconduct, and manipulative behavior. The former regenerative medicine researcher, who was once considered a pioneer in his field, faced serious charges in Italy and Sweden due to his surgeries.

In 2022, a court in Sweden stated that Macchiarini was guilty of causing harm to a patient. However, it cleared him of the assault charges and gave him a suspended sentence. In other words, it means that if he committed another crime during this two-year probation period, his sentence would be re-evaluated.

A year later, however, an appeals court awarded him 2.6 years in prison. Further, 11 of the 65-year-old’s research papers have been retracted, while three others have been rectified, and four others have been given an expression of concern, stated Retraction Watch.

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Who Were Paolo Macchiarini’s victims?

a) Claudia Castillo: Since she suffered from tuberculosis-damaged airways, she underwent a donated trachea transplant, which was crafted from her stem cells. The Colombian suffered serious complications but thankfully did not die. She has since had her synthetic trachea removed.

b) Keziah Shorten: In 2010, Macchiarini performed a transplant to cure Shorten’s trachea cancer. However, it failed the next year, after which a synthetic trachea was inserted in London. She was discharged but died around Christmas.

c) Andemariam Teklesenbet Beyene: Macchiarini and University College London scientists collaborated to make a fully synthetic trachea. The surgery, which happened in 2011, was widely covered but the implant failed soon. Beyene died in January 2013. The postmortem showed chronic lung infection, a lung clot, and a loose synthetic trachea.

d) Christopher Lyles: Macchiarini implanted a fully synthetic trachea made from Lyles’ stem cells in November 2011. He died suddenly the next year and no autopsy was conducted.

The other patients who died after receiving the trachea transplant were Yulia Tuulik, Alexander Zozulya, Yesim Cetir, Hannah Warren, and Sadiq Kanaan.

Dmitri Onogda was also one of his patients but his implant malfunctioned and was replaced. And as per the last reports, he is still alive, like Claudia Castillo.

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Is Paolo Macchiarini worse than Christopher Duntsch from Dr. Death?

Christopher Duntsch was the subject matter of Dr. Death season 1. The former American neurosurgeon caused the deaths of two patients when he worked at Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex hospitals.

He also maimed the spines of 33 out of 38 patients in less than two years due to his operations, which compelled the Texas Medical Board to revoke his license.

In 2017, a Dallas court sentenced Duntsch to life imprisonment. Given this summary, it won’t be a stretch to say that Macchiarini was not as bad as Christopher Duntsch.

But judge for yourself as both seasons of Dr. Death are on Peacock and Bad Surgeon: Love Under the Knife is on Netflix.