Paolo Macchiarini

Some Lesser Known Facts About Paolo Macchiarini

• Paolo Macchiarini is a Swiss thoracic surgeon and former regenerative medicine researcher, who became known after getting involved in research fraud and displaying manipulative behaviour.

• He was born into a family of Italian parents. ^[15]Vanity Fair

• He faced accusations of unethically conducting experimental surgeries, including procedures on patients who were relatively healthy. Reportedly, seven out of eight patients who received one of his synthetic trachea transplants faced fatal outcomes. ^[16]Expressen

• From 1990 to 1992, he worked as an assistant professor at the University of Pisa, Italy.

• He never had a salaried position at Hannover Medical School in Germany, according to the medical school; however, he held the position of head of the department of thoracic and vascular surgery at the Heidehaus Hannover Hospital from 1999 to 2004.

• Paolo worked as an investigator at the Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques-Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas in Barcelona, Spain, from 2006 to 2009. During this period, he was affiliated with the University of Barcelona and worked at the Hospital Clínic de Barcelona.

• He held an honorary position as a visiting professor at University College London from 2009 to 2014.

• Starting in 2010, he became a consultant and project manager at University Hospital Careggi (AOUC). In the same year, Macchiarini assumed his position as a visiting professor at the Karolinska Institute (KI) in Stockholm, Sweden, and a part-time surgical position at the affiliated university hospital.

• Paolo established connections in Russia after giving a master class in 2010, leading to a trachea transplant he performed there. This event, covered widely in Russian media, resulted in his 2011 appointment at Kuban State Medical University. The university and the Russian government-funded this position, accompanied by an honorary doctorate. ^[17]Science

• In 2010, Paolo Macchiarini performed transplant surgery on his patient Keziah Shorten, who was suffering from trachea cancer. Unfortunately, the transplant did not succeed, and the next year, a synthetic trachea was implanted at University College Hospital London for palliative care. Despite being discharged in 2011 and getting to spend Christmas at home with her family, Keziah eventually passed away due to her underlying disease. ^[18]BBC

  

• In June 2012, Paolo Macchiarini carried out surgery to implant a second synthetic seeded trachea on Alexander Zozulya. Zozulya had a tracheostomy resulting from a car accident, and his life was not immediately at risk. ^[19]New Scientist After complications arose from the first implant in 2012, a second surgery took place in November 2013. Unfortunately, Alexander Zozulya passed away in February 2014 under unclear circumstances. ^[20]BBC

• In August 2013, Sadiq Kanaan underwent a complete synthetic seeded tracheal implant procedure performed by Macchiarini at Kuban State Medical University. ^[21]BBC He passed away later that same year. ^[22]Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

• In 2013, KI terminated its clinical relationship with Macchiarini but allowed him to continue as a researcher; however, in February 2016, the university decided not to renew his research contract, terminating it the following month. ^[23]Nature

• In April 2013, Paolo Macchiarini conducted a procedure to implant a fully synthetic seeded trachea in two-year-old Hannah Warren, who was born without a trachea. The surgery took place at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria, Illinois, United States. The procedure also included her oesophagus, which didn’t heal properly and required a second operation in June. She succumbed to complications from the second surgery on 6 July 2013. ^[24]The New York Times

  

• In June 2014, Macchiarini conducted a procedure to implant a fully synthetic seeded trachea in Dmitri Onogda at Kuban State Medical University. The initial implant failed, and it was subsequently replaced. As of 2017, Dmitri Onogda was reported to still be alive. ^[25]BBC ^[26]Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

• He moved to Kazan Federal University in 2016, taking the grant money with him; however, the university terminated his research project in April 2017. ^[27]Science

• In August 2021, the third season of the ‘Dr. Death’ podcast was released, featuring a six-episode season titled ‘Miracle Man,’ which covers the story of Paolo Macchiarini. The podcast focuses on allegations of ethical misconduct and manipulation in Macchiarini’s medical practices, along with the deceptive aspects of his relationship with Benita Alexander. The series includes interviews with Benita Alexander, offering insights into the controversies surrounding Paolo. ^[28]Rolling Stone

• In 2023, a documentary titled ‘Bad Surgeon: Love Under the Knife’ was released on Netflix, focusing on Paolo’s work in the field of regenerative medicine.

  

• He can speak many languages very well including Italian, German, English, French, Spanish, and Catalan. ^[29]Citizens for Responsible Care and Research

• He smokes cigars occasionally.

  

• He is often spotted consuming alcohol in public.