[10][64] Shortly afterwards the vice chancellor, Anders Hamsten, who in 2015 had cleared Macchiarini of scientific misconduct, also resigned. A year later, it was announced that he had been negligent in all the cases, but that a crime could not be proven because the patients might have died anyway. [7] Articles in Vanity Fair and Aftonbladet further suggested that he had falsified some of his academic credentials on rsums. Three months later, the Karolinska Institute ruled that while Macchiarini did not always rise to the level of its standards, he had not committed scientific misconduct. People know him as the con man fooling people and risking the lives of the people through his unethical research works.He was a celebrity scientist and popular for his contributions to the medical research field. According to a report by Distractify, Benita Alexander fell in love with Paolo while they worked together on A Leap of Faith. As these events were unfolding, Maccharini allowed Lindquist to follow him for a documentary film. After a lot of legal proceedings for a few years, he was again set free. [29]:9[31], In June 2012, Macchiarini implanted a fully synthetic seeded trachea in Yulia Tuulik at Kuban State Medical University; Tuulik had a tracheostomy resulting from a car accident, but her life was not in danger. [13][14], After a one-year medico-legal investigation, the Swedish Prosecution Authority announced in October 2017 that Macchiarini had been negligent in four of the five cases investigated due to the use of devices and procedures not supported by evidence, but that a crime could not be proven because the patients might have died under any other treatment given. Paolo Macchiarini accusato di aver condotto esperimenti sui pazienti e non operazioni a scopo di ricerca. He proposed to Alexander on Christmas in 2013 and she said yes. Emily Whipp, Laura Dimon, Colleen Halpin, Emma Piscia and Anthony Rivas. [14][26][32] The effects from the first implant in 2012 prompted a second surgery in November 2013. "He and I started going to dinners and I was kind of pouring my heart out. Sarah Deen Monday 23 Aug 2021 10:00 am. Paolos net worth is around 4-5 million dollars. ", "As devastated as I was and as much as I wanted to crawl under the covers and hide and stay there, I knew I couldn't fall apart," she said. Paolo kept slipping details: Elton John was going to play at a party the night before. He offered to marry us himself., Give me a fking break, I replied. He traveled to Illinois to operate on a Korean toddler who was born without a trachea and who was going to be the youngest person to ever receive an artificial one. [45][46] The Lancet, which published Macchiarini's work, also published an article defending him. While much of the scientific community was eager to believe he had made breakthroughs, not everyone was convinced. "The woman in Barcelona was not his wife. "He comes around the corner, he looks right at me and in that second something happened. Like his patients many of whom ended up dead I was seduced by a false promise. Paolo Macchiarini (born 22 August 1958): 2 is a Swiss-born Italian thoracic surgeon and former regenerative medicine researcher who became known for research fraud and manipulative behavior. In mid-2013, they became a couple and in December that year they became 'pre-engaged' as Macchiarini, who lived in Barcelona, Spain, said he was still legally married with two children but had. [25] Unlike the Castillo procedure, in this case, the stripped trachea was seeded with the boy's stem cells just hours before it was implanted. After discovering his marriage, she broke the engagement and called off the wedding. Lindquist had begun his own investigation into the claims brought forth by Macchiarini's colleagues. Journalist Benita Alexander's life was turned upside down by her relationship with surgeon Paolo Macchiarini (Picture: Benita Alexander/PA) A woman who . [26][29]:9 She came to Macchiarini at the KI for treatment, and in 2012 he first removed her left lung and replaced her trachea with a pipe, then replaced the pipe with a fully synthetic seeded trachea. Macchiarini had told her that he and his wife were separated, but that the divorce hadn't yet been finalized legally. [48] Later that day, the SVT investigative program Dokument inifrn began broadcasting a three-part series, titled "Experimenten", in which Macchiarini's work was investigated. Macchiarini also stated that the synthetic trachea had been tested on animals before using it on humans, something that could not be verified. Season 1. I called a private investigator the moment he left. What does the future hold for Paolo Macchiarini? 'I'm a control freak and it was really difficult for me to do. Why should you choose Packaged spices over Loose spices. Paolo is a smart and handsome surgeon, renowned for his ability to perform surgeries that transform his patients' lives. In 2015, Alexander sent emails to the Karolinska Institute expressing concerns about the acclaimed surgeon. Also the manufacturer of her first plastic trachea, Nanofiber . He received a suspended sentence on 16 June 2022.[73][5]. The supposed $100,000 diamond had a re-sale value of $1,000. He insisted on flying to New York from Europe and arrived at Lenox Hill Hospital with a single red rose, charming my mother as much as he charmed me. We were apart for two months. Macchiarini had reported that after his first patient underwent the procedure, a healthy trachea was beginning to develop, Lindquist said. His sexual orientation is straight and he is not gay. In need of a lung transplant, doctors arranged to transfer her to Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia. The inquiry tells a story of deception, . "The Experiments" told the stories of some of Maccharini's patients, including young mother Julia Tuulik, who damaged her trachea in a car accident. Information Index: Trachea Transplants and Paolo Macchiarini, M.D. He did this by chemically stripping away the cells of a windpipe. [14], In June 2008, Macchiarini conducted a transplant of a donated trachea colonized with the stem cells of the recipient, Claudia Castillo; the tissue was used to replace her left bronchus, which had been damaged by tuberculosis, and her left lung had collapsed. Just find your dress. Cetir came to Macchiarini's attention after undergoing an elective procedure to correct a condition that caused excessive sweating. Soon afterward, he took her on an "over the top" romantic trip to Italy, where they ate extravagant meals, went shopping and island hopped on a private boat, she said. [18], Macchiarini obtained his medical degree (equivalent to MD) at the Medical School of the University of Pisa (UniPi) in 1986 and a Master of Surgery in 1991. He was insistent on a Catholic service, even though we were both divorcees. She shared that many women have contacted her with similar stories since she opened up about her experience. Benita Alexander, a TV producer, was set to marry the doctor of her dreams in 2015 in a lavish ceremony officiated by Pope Francis. Alexander said that day marked the beginning of their relationship. We vacationed in Venice, Italy, and drank Champagne in a gondola. If you have been love conned, you're not alone. Alexander said that Macchiarini told her he was still married to his wife because they were Catholic but were separated. It also said that all of the co-authors had committed scientific misconduct as well.[17]. As per sources, when Emanuela got to know about this affair, the couple got into an ugly fight, and there was news of the couple soon taking a divorce,But, nothing such as happened till now. Paolo proposed on Christmas Day, 2013, with a $100,000 diamond ring. Benita is sharing the story of how Paolo deceived her in the first episode of the ABC series, The Con. [19] Macchiarini was an investigator at the Institut d'Investigacions Biomdiques-Instituto de Investigaciones Biomdicas in Barcelona, Spain, from 2006 to 2009; he was affiliated with but not an employee of the University of Barcelona and was apparently an employee at the Hospital Clnic de Barcelona during this time. He also directed ABC News to a list of reforms the Institute was implementing in the wake of the scandal. Soon, I learned that Paolo was still married to his wife of 29 years and living in Barcelona with a second woman and two young children. She said Macchiarini had told her that for their wedding, the Vatican had offered them the pope's summer residence in the Italian town of Castel Gandolfo. [40], KI had also appointed an external expert, Bengt Gerdin, to review the charges, comparing the results reported to the medical record of the hospital; the report was released by the university in May 2015. [29]:9 Cetir died in March 2017. The Korean girl that had undergone Macchiarini's procedure in Illinois, whose story Alexander had been sent to cover, had died in the time following the surgery. The color of her eyes is black, and the color of her hair is black too. In 2019, the surgeon was sentenced to 16 months in an Italian prison for faking research about how tracheas could be regenerated with patients' own stem cells. It hired Bengt Gerdin, a professor at Uppsala University in Sweden, who spent six months examining some of Macchiarini's papers for evidence of research misconduct and in May 2015 determined that he was guilty, writing in his report that Macchiarini had made false claims about his patients' conditions improving, failed to report severe complications in some patients and made it seem as if some patients had been healthier for longer than they'd actually been following their surgeries. Since her romance with Paolo imploded in 2015, the brunette beauty has continued working on documentaries and docuseries'. "I made a very strategic decision to start playing a cat-and-mouse game, basically," she said. In 2016, Paolo was under investigation by Swedish prosecutors on suspicion of manslaughter and grievous bodily harm related to three patient deaths in that country. She'd been in the intensive care unit in Turkey for three years, and her health was still deteriorating. Their guest list, Alexander said, included Elton John, the Beckhams, the Obamas, the Clintons and Russell Crowe. 4 February 2016. I couldn't fall apart because if he's lying to me like this, there's no way he's not lying in his medical and professional life.". The Secret Service and the Swiss Guard are involved because of all the VIPs. He then claimed that his surgeon status was a cover for him being a CIA operative. She reflected on their relationship and wondered how she could've missed all the red flags. A Swedish court has given a disgraced Italian surgeon a suspended sentence for causing bodily harm during an experimental stem-cell windpipe transplant. Ole Petter Ottersen, president of the Karolinska Institute since 2017, told ABC News in a request for comment on Macchiarini, "It is obvious that KI's initial handling of this case was insufficient and inadequate on several points. I had to expose him.". But, he became more famous not because of his profession or work but for his controversies. [12][20] KI published the incomplete results of its verification of Macchiarini's CV in February 2016. Alexander said Macchiarini later called her, telling her he was at the Vatican and that he had some big news: Not only did he find someone willing to perform the ceremony but he said it was his own patient, the pope himself. Alexander felt compelled to cancel the wedding, yet while she tried to figure out the extent to which Macchiarini had lied, she said she let him think they would still marry one day. He did this by chemically stripping away the cells of a windpipe. "I talked to my editors and we started thinking, 'Well, let's just keep pulling on this thread. The next installment of the Wondery podcast series Dr. Death explores how Italian surgeon Paolo Macchiarini manipulated his patients and . Continue reading to find out what the award-winning producer is up to since her heartbreaking romance with the surgeon. Myhemmin hnt alettiin epill tutkimusvilpist. On what was supposed to be the day of her wedding, Alexander flew to Rome, where she eventually met others who'd kept their travel plans. - Benita Alexander on Being Duped by the . In response to Gerdin's report, Macchiarini denied all the findings. But it didn't work, and a Swedish court has held him criminally responsible for hurting a patient. Il chirurgo ha negato di aver commesso qualsiasi illecito penale. She said one question was heavy on her mind: "Why did you do this to me, why would you do that to anybody? I mean, I got this sort of chill through my body, like there was some sort of electric spark, and I remember, in my head, thinking, 'What the hell was that?'". Here, the Brooklynite tells Jane Ridley how her ex, Italian surgeon Paolo Macchiarini, left behind a trail of deception and death. I will plan everything else.. The Pope's spokesman said that the Pope had no "personal doctor" named Macchiarini, knew nobody of that name, and would not have officiated. But in 2010, a charge went on against him for performing unethical experiments on healthy patients and thus risking their lives. When NBC documentary producer Benita Alexander was tasked with covering the story of innovative surgeon Paolo Macchiarini in 2013, she could not have fathomed the extent to which the doctor would alter her life. In 2011, Macchiarini immediately ascended into fame after he developed an artificial medical device that had the potential to save thousands of lives, according to The New York Times. Dr. Death: Miracle Man premieres everywhere from August 16 including Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and the Wondery app. Paolo Macchiarini, who made headlines for pioneering surgery, charged with aggravated assault over procedure AFP in Stockholm Wed 27 Apr 2022 10.38 EDT Last modified on Wed 27 Apr 2022 10.41 EDT [13][26] The implant failed and was replaced, and as of 2017 Onogda was still alive. Despite having a wife and a family, Paolo had a public affair with internet celebrity Benita Alexandra. More details emerged: Seven of the eight patients who. As a journalist, Alexander knew she couldn't get involved with the subject of her story. [25] The boy was born with a 1mm diameter trachea, and efforts to widen it had caused life-threatening complications. [66][67][68], On 5 September 2016, the Swedish government moved to dismiss the entire board of the Institute. [19] In 2013, KI terminated its clinical relationship with Macchiarini but allowed him to continue as a researcher; in February 2016, the university announced that it would not renew Macchiarini's research contract, which was due to expire in November, and terminated the contract the following month. We met in February 2013 when I worked for NBC and he was the subject of a TV special about how he had developed the science of artificial trachea transplants. As per sources, Paolo had an extramarital affair in 2015 with Benita Alexandra, who used to work in NBC. New decision concerning Macchiarini's position as a researcher. She did her schooling in Italy. In the course of that operation, the surgeons had nicked her trachea. [53], In February 2016, KI published a review of Macchiarini's CV that identified discrepancies. Conan Fitzpatrick/SVT. [14][27][28], Andemariam Teklesenbet Beyene was a man from Eritrea who was earning a master's degree in Iceland when he was diagnosed with cancer; the cancer was treated with chemotherapy and surgery in 2009, but in 2011 his trachea was obstructed again. Macchiarini had told her that he and his wife were separated, but that the divorce hadn't yet been finalized legally. He claimed internal politics were rife at the Vatican and the popes progressive plan had been undermined. When I contacted the Italian castle where he had supposedly booked guest rooms, nobody there knew Paolos name. Emanuela usually tries to stay away from any kind of controversies or media. The board published its findings in October 2017, and concluded that all six were the result of scientific misconduct, in particular by failing to report the complications and deaths that occurred after the interventions; one of the articles also claimed that the procedure had been approved by an ethics committee, when this had not happened. His six papers on the transplant surgery were retracted. Not just that, Paolo was also entangled in several other controversies. "I've long since learned to stand strong against all of that - for one, extremely important reason I'm now on a mission to help other women expose the men who've conned them, and to spread awareness about love cons and remove the stigma that continues to perpetuate that says you're stupid if you're a woman who falls for a con man. [19] Macchiarini obtained degree certificatesa masters in organ and tissue transplantation dated 1994 and a doctorate in the same dated 1997from University of Franche-Comt in France. Bjork said he reopened the investigation in December 2018 and obtained new written evidence and interviewed individuals in five different countries. While Macchiarini continued to deny any wrongdoing, he lost his job at the Institute and Swedish prosecutors began looking into whether his behavior was criminal. The audio series covers the accusations of ethical misconduct and manipulation in Macchiarini's medical work alongside those of his personal deceit in his affair with Alexander, told through a series of interviews with the latter. In addition to fibbing about some aspects of his personal life, Paolo also got into deep trouble professionally. "I was angry as hell. Taking a deep breath, I pulled my engagement ring out of my pocket and hurled it into the Hudson River. May 17, 2022. He even got engaged to Benita. She was a good student and secured good grades in her high school. After a few months of friendship, things became romantic. Talking about her spouse Paolo, he became infamous for research fraud and manipulative behavior.