Bad Surgeon: Love Under the Knife: release date on Netflix, trailer and true story of Dr Paolo Macchiarini

Bad Surgeon: Love Under the Knife is the harrowing true story about Dr Paolo Macchiarini, and it is coming to Netflix. Once regarded as a pioneer in stem cell research, his claims he had developed synthetic organs left his patients dying in excruciating pain. The three-part documentary series includes testimony from his victims’ families, his former colleagues and those who fought hard to bring the previously acclaimed surgeon to justice. It also includes an interview with his fiancée, the journalist Benita Alexander.

She met him whilst putting together a story about his work, Alexander explained: “His nickname was ‘the super surgeon’ and he was adored and adulated. Everybody was fooled by this man. I was engaged to a monster.”

What is Bad Surgeon: Love Under the Knife about?

Bad Surgeon: Love Under the Knife tells the harrowing true story of Dr Paolo Macchiarini, who claimed he had developed ground-breaking synthetic organs that could be used on seriously ill transplant patients.

He performed these surgeries around the world, with his claims hinting that synthetic organs could replace traditional organ donation. However Dr Macchiarini was a compulsive liar who left terror and destruction in his wake.

The synopsis from Netflix reads: "This extraordinary three-part docuseries tells the story of super surgeon Paolo Macchiarini. A global thriller where science, crime, love, and ethics collide. Paolo was globally lauded for creating the world’s first plastic organs. Now accused of being a fraud and a fantasist. 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."

Is there a trailer?

Yes, production company Nutopia TV have released a trailer and it makes for harrowing viewing. It sets the scene of Dr Macchiarini's controversial medical practices, his claims and includes footage of his patients and fiancée, the journalist Benita Alexander.

What happened to Dr Paolo Macchiarini?

Despite claiming that he had created synthetic organs and carrying out surgeries around the world to prove his theory, Dr Macchiarini was a compulsive liar, whose patients were left to suffer excruciating deaths.

In June 2023, he was found guilty of gross assault against three of his patients and sentenced to two years and six months in prison by an appeals court in Stockholm. In 2011 and 2012 he had performed experimental surgeries on the three patients while working at the Karolinska Institute. All three patients died after he implanted synthetic windpipes with stem cells from the patients’ own bone marrow. One patient died four months after the procedure whilst the other two lived two and half and five years, suffering painful complications.

When can I watch Bad Surgeon: Love Under the Knife on Netflix?

Bad Surgeon: Love Under the Knife will be available to watch on Netflix from Wednesday November 29. All episodes in the three-part documentary will be available to stream.