Netflix recently came out with a three-episode documentary series called Bad Surgeon: Love Under the Knife, and despite the cheesy title, the show was on a surprisingly solemn subject. The documentary is centered on Italian surgeon and conman Paolo Macchiarini. 

In 2011, Macchiarini told the world that he had developed a method of creating synthetic windpipes using a patient’s stem cells. The surgeon then dazzled the medical community by performing several transplants that he deemed a success. But behind the scenes, the patients were suffering from terrible side effects of the “transplant” and would all inevitably die. When the families asked for help or explanation Macchiarini would flat-out ignore them and move on to the next transplant patient. This pattern continues for years until he is exposed for his crimes.  The series also focuses on his romance with American journalist Benita Alexander and their relationship based on lies.

The documentary had great interviews with Alexander herself, journalists Johannes Wahlstöm and Bosse Lindquist, and surgeons the Karl-Henrik Grinnemo and Oscar Simonson, who uncovered his lies. The documentary really provided a good look on Macchiarini’s sudden rise and fall and how he impacted many patients loved ones.

The series also does a great job of explaining Grinnemo’s journey from devoted co-worker to spectacle investigator, and finally, a whistleblower, which is a person who calls out an organization that is doing something unethical. One scene that I found extremely enlightening was when Grinnemo confronted Macchiarini. When confronted, Macchiarini was angry and condescending towards Grinnemo which speaks volumes about his character. Instead of explaining his “process” he tears down people and makes them think they’re too dumb to understand his “brilliant mind.”

Lindquist also gave great insight into how Macchiarini fooled the public and how easily swayed the media can be. The public believed him so quickly even though there was little to no research backing him up. He also explained how he came about his discovery of Macchiarini’s misdeeds and how he investigated them further.

The clips of Macchiarini were also a great touch because they show the views how arrogant and patronizing Macchiarini is. The videos are infuriating to watch but show just how easily Macchiarini was able to lie about his achievements.

The documentary had spent less time talking about the doomed romance between Macchiarini and Alexander and instead focused on how and why he created the scam. I understand that the lies told in Macchiarini’s personal life were reflected in his medical field, but at times I felt like I was watching a soap opera instead of a documentary.

Altogether I give this documentary a 3.5 out of 5.