The incidents shown in Netflix’s latest documentary Bad Surgeon: Love Under the Knife startled audiences.
The three-part ‘bone-chilling’ docu-series had viewers guessing about how things would finish, with several twists and turns.
Many people who were previously uninformed of the true-crime have been immediately enlightened and are in shock.
The documentary focuses on Swiss-born Italian surgeon Paolo Macchiarini, whom the documentary describes as “the biggest conman in medical history.”
*This article contains spoilers.*
Benita Alexander, his former fiancée, is a contributor to the series and says in the teaser, ‘His moniker was ‘the super surgeon,’ and he was liked and admired. This guy deceived everyone. ‘I was married to a monster.’
If you want some further clues as to what gets covered in the trio of episodes, the synopsis reads: ‘Dr. Paolo Macchiarini is world-famous for his revolutionary stem cell-infused windpipe transplants. There’s just one problem: His patients keep dying.’
It added: ‘Paolo was globally lauded for creating the world’s first plastic organs.’ Seven out of nine people he performed a synthetic transplant on have died.
‘Now he’s accused of being a fraud and a fantasist,’ it continued.
‘Featuring the courageous families of his victims, his former fiancée and colleagues turned whistleblowers – including exclusive access to some – and never before heard revelations, this series follows the unrelenting fight to bring Macchiarini to justice.’
In the series, he is accused of treating victims like “human lab rats,” with one victim coughing up parts of her own flesh.
Another person suggests: ‘This guy may be an imposter but he may also be a genius on the way to save mankind.’
The documentary also focuses on his turbulent love life and the women he’s ‘fooled.’
Alexander describes how she became persuaded that his clients were the Clintons, Barack Obama, and Pope Francis, which is especially stunning given that she was a journalist. Suspicions only arose when it became evident that her wedding in Italy, with Elton John singing and the Pope presiding, would not take place.
She decided to do some investigation and, with the aid of two private detectives, learned that her fiancé was actually married and had children.
Viewers have weighed in on the documentary chronicling his rise and fall.
Having completed the episodes which dropped onto the streaming giant on November 29 one person wrote: ‘I just watched Bad Surgeon on Netflix and holy shit, that is an insane and bone-chilling story, that actually happened!!! That dude is a monster.’
I just watched Bad Surgeon on Netflix and holy shit, that is an insane and bone-chilling story, that actually happened!!!
That dude is a monster.
— Jackie Redmond (@Jackie_Redmond) November 30, 2023
Bad Surgeon on Netflix is INSANE
— Dani Romanoff (@DaniKeyarrow) December 4, 2023
Watching The bad surgeon on Netflix and mind is totally blown 🤯
— नम्रता (@_Namrataa) December 4, 2023
Another viewer also took to X, formerly Twitter, to express their thoughts on the series. ‘Bad Surgeon on Netflix is INSANE,’ they simply stated.
‘Watching The bad surgeon on Netflix and mind is blown,’ wrote another shocked viewer.
Macchiarini, 65, received a 16-month prison term in 2019. His offence was misuse of office and forgery of papers, but the Supreme Court acquitted him of all counts.
He was convicted of committing bodily injury in 2022 and granted a suspended sentence. He was charged with heinous assault against three former patients a year later.
He received a two-year and six-month suspended sentence, as well as the retraction of 11 of his research publications.
Macchiarini denies allegations. Speaking at a press conference in June he said: ‘The intention of harming is the most awful accusation that you can make to a doctor.
‘In the operating room, we were 20, 25 people. What surprises me is, why I am here alone?’
Bad Surgeon: Love Under the Knife is available to stream on Netflix.
