Plot Synopsis

Directed by Ben Steele, BAD SURGEON: LOVE UNDER THE KNIFE is a three-part documentary that tells the story of super surgeon Paolo Macchiarini. Paolo was globally lauded for creating the world's first plastic organs, but he's now accused of being a fraud and a fantasist. In 2011 Macchiarini was revolutionizing transplant medicine through his ground-breaking alternative to organ donation. To desperate patients, Macchiarini's plastic windpipes were the miracle they had longed for. But Macchiarini lied about his research and all but one of his patients endured excruciating deaths. And the only surviving patient had their plastic windpipe removed. At the same time Macchiarini was also a brazen liar in his love life. Benita Alexander, Macchiarini's one-time fiance, recounts the astounding story of his web of lies in which he claimed renowned public figures like the Pope, the Clintons, the Obamas, Putin, and even Elton John were at his beck and call. Featuring the courageous families of his victims, his former fiancee and colleagues turned whistleblowers -- including exclusive access to some -- the series follows the unrelenting fight to bring Macchiarini to justice. All three episodes of BAD SURGEON: LOVE UNDER THE KNIFE dropped on Wednesday, November 29, 2023 on Netflix.