Unfortunately, though, she reportedly succumbed to her underlying disease in January of 2012. And fooled almost everyone. The tube was necessary because her trachea the airway leading to the lungs had become damaged after she spent weeks on a ventilator for a severe asthma attack in 2014. Apparently, her graft detached soon after, causing an infection, and because of difficulties in breathing, she had to be admitted into emergency a total of 13 times. Thereafter it was all over the news. Thousands of people in the United States alone develop trachea problems each year from burns, birth defects, tumors and extended intubation on ventilators. Learn how your comment data is processed. Although all three patients eventually died, Dr. Macchiarini was not directly accused of killing them. He was eventually dismissed from Karolinska. Nearly all of those patients have died. Border crisis: Whats happening at the US-Mexico border? ABCs true-crime documentary series The Con premieres with the story of Paolo Macchiarini, who was once considered a pioneer in the field of regenerative medicine but allegedly turned out to be just a fraud. Disgraced Italian surgeon convicted of criminal harm to stem cell patient. When you implant a synthetic trachea you have one certainty, and that is that the patient will die as a result of it, Delaere says in the email. In this episode, eyewitnesses, officials, and some of Paolos victims thus reveal how they got conned by him, with his former lover television producer Benita Alexander at the front and center. Those few patients who are still alive including Castillo have survived in spite of the artificial windpipes they received. Does the heat of stem cell research the high levels of funding, prestige and media coverage it enjoys somehow encourage fraud? So, how much is Paolo Macchiarini worth at the age of 64 years old? Washington If we've learned anything from the COVID-19 pandemic, it's that we cannot wait for a crisis to respond. Two investigations, one by the Karolinska Institute and one by Karolinska University Hospital, both found that problems with Dr. Macchiarinis work had been covered up. There he reinvented his technique. Yet, for the vast majority of such treatments, there is little solid evidence that they work. If she talked for over five minutes, she had to stop because I couldnt breathe.. Macchiarinis fame had won him well-placed backers. He reportedly lied on his CV and research papers to trick patients, causing almost all those who received his inventive trachea transplants (using their own bone marrow cells for organ functionality) to lose their lives. To some extent, they believed Macchiarini because he told them what they wanted to hear. A good example is the NBC documentary A Leap of Faith. This went on for three years until, just recently, Grinnemo was cleared of all wrongdoing. Andemariam Beyene met up with Macchiarini in Iceland a year after his operation but later died Two more patients were also given transplants at the Karolinska On the contrary, they seemed to do more harm than good something that Macchiarini had for years concealed or downplayed in his scientific articles, press releases and interviews. The first person to receive one of these was Andemariam Beyene, an Eritrean doctoral student in geology at the University of Iceland. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Colleagues accused him of manipulating his results, even warning of the harm caused by these so-called regenerative windpipes. They exchange their vows in Italy. Alexander admits that, at the time, she was in a vulnerable place. From that moment on, she made a proposal to Paolo Macchiarini, and Dateline planned to publish the story. As per In 2015, the Karolinska Institute hired an independent investigator named Dr. Bengt Gerdin to look into the Macchiarini situation, per the Times. The court had to apply the intentional indifference standard for the assault charges, he says, which is difficult to prove. Virginia This thing came to life, Dr. Genden marveled, and we were like, Holy smokes, weve done it.. In such dire circumstances, new treatments can be tried as a last resort. Dr. Paolo Macchiarini became a star by creating a bioartificial windpipe. 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The maximum prison sentence for causing bodily harm is 4 years. Benita Alexander wearing a wig as she tracked down Paolo in Barcelona [Investigation Discovery]. Not only that, they later covered it up.. Nevada Family Seeks JusticeAfter Her Disappearance, Oregon Mother Of Four Who Was To Meet Up With Teen Son Suddenly Vanishes, Husband Of Missing Massachusetts Woman Charged With Her Murder, 8 Things To Know About The Nicholas Barclay Disappearance And Ensuing Deception, I'm Still Searching For My Baby: Georgia Mother Hopes For Answers In Daughters Disappearance, A Woman Disappeared From A Group Hike And Was Never Seen Again. The surgeons defense attorney, Bjrn Hurtig, said his client was considering an appeal. Paolo Macchiarini at a press conference in 2008. Ground-breaking work on synthetic organ transplants made Paolo Macchiarini one of the most famous doctors in the world. Stem cell brain implants could 'slow ageing and extend life', study shows, offering to treat just about any ailment you can name, Pregnant women's stem cells could treat osteoporosis, say scientists. In late 2014, four doctors in Sweden accused him of fraud, saying that he'd falsified data in six of the papers he had published. Death Season 2, Mandy Moore Joins Dr. She had already spent $10,000 on engraved invitations made for a guest list that included the Obamas, the Clintons, Vladimir Putin, and Elton John. All rights reserved. Her colleague had sent an article that said the pope would not be in Rome, or even Italy, on the day of their wedding. Therefore, of all the medically ill individuals Paolo has ever provided a biological or synthetic implant to, at least 8 of them allegedly died due to his misconduct in research, failure to provide proper post-operative care, and/or his disregard for ethical practices. How climate change and forest management make wildfires harder to contain, Disparity in police response: Black Lives Matter protests and Capitol riot. In early 2014, four Karolinska doctors defied the reigning culture of silence by complaining about Macchiarini. However, Swedish TV reporters also decided to take a close look at Macchiarinis work. Dressed in a white lab coat or in surgical scrubs, with his broad, handsome face and easy charm, he certainly looked the part. She met Macchiarini while producing A Leap of Faith and was soon breaking one of the cardinal rules of journalism: dont fall in love with the subject of your story. Benita Alexander and Paolo Macchiarini in Venice, Italy [Investigation Discovery]. In January 2016, Macchiarini received an extraordinary double dose of bad press. She received another implant at the University College Hospital in London in 2011, after which she was able to be discharged. Minnesota Subscribe to News from Science for full access to breaking news and analysis on research and science policy. She has since had the synthetic trachea removed. In their view, he was grossly misrepresenting his results and the health of his patients. After Macchiarini fitted Cetir with one of his artificial windpipes in 2012, her condition worsened. He officially cleared Macchiarini of scientific misconduct, allowing merely that hed sometimes acted without due care. For Ms. Sein, the procedure was a long-sought dream. Sonia Sein, outside her Bronx home, had irreparable damage to her trachea. Its enough to worry officials from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Countless news stories declared it a medical breakthrough. Hes clearly bright and has accomplishments, but he cant contain himself. How did the GameStop stock spike on Wall Street happen? The trachea has been characterized as a simple tube, but its very complex, Dr. Delaere said. The coronavirus pandemic will most likely create more cases because many Covid-19 patients have needed weeks on ventilators. But it did not work, and a court in Sweden has found him criminally liable for the harm This was Macchiarinis first big success. Sadly, she passed away soon after her second implant. What Is Benita Alexander Doing Now? She Was Conned I didnt want the fairy tale to end., Alexander also hired a private investigator, a former Pennsylvania State Police detective named Frank Murphy. The transplants, performed on patients from the United States and other countries, were heralded as inaugurating a regenerative medicine revolution. Because mucus would clog her tube, she was constantly suctioning, constantly worried about her airway, and it becomes overwhelming, Dr. Genden said, like being held down in a swimming pool. WebPaolo 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 A panel of judges unanimously ruled that the interventions were not in accordance with science and proven experience, according to a statement released today. Any woman would swoon for such a catch! Emanuela Pecchia: Everything We Know But as the big day approached, Alexander saw these plans unravel, and finally realised that her lover had lied about almost everything. At the trial, Macchiarini and his lawyer argued that the patients, with no other options, had been treated under compassionate care standards. A genius is a revolutionary by definition, a risk-taker and a law-breaker. Any replacement trachea must be rigid or itll collapse like a straw in a McDonalds milkshake, Dr. Genden said. The only question was how long it would take weeks, months or a few years. How a star surgeon's personal and professional lives converged First Successful Trachea Transplant a Medical Milestone - The That meant the donor trachea was accompanied by a blood supply that Dr. Genden connected to Ms. Seins blood vessels. The theory was simple: let the body do most of the work. Also seduced by Macchiarini was former NBC News producer Benita Alexander, who met the surgeon in 2013 when she was working on A Leap of Faith, an NBC special about Macchiarini hosted by Meredith Vieira. Stem cell clinics have sprung up like weeds, offering to treat just about any ailment you can name. Their devastating documentary, which aired in January 2016, led KI officials to reopen the investigation. There are people who go to jail for 5 years for not paying their taxes. But after Alexander learned that Pope Francis was scheduled to visit South America at the time of their wedding, she confronted Macchiarini about his claims. In Sweden, both the defense and the prosecution can appeal rulings, and senior prosecutor Karin Lundstrm-Kron says she and her colleagues will decide in the coming weeks. Her friends described him as "Mr. Big" from Sex and the City. 2nd Impeachment Trial: What this could mean for Trump, Presidential transition of power: Examined, How Donald Trump spent his last days as president, How Joe Biden's inauguration will be different from previous years, Trump challenges the vote and takes legal action, 2020s DNC and RNC are different than any before, Power Trip: Those Who Seek Power and Those Who Chase Them, Leave No Trace: A Hidden History of the Boy Scouts, Keeper of the Ashes: The Oklahoma Girl Scout Murders, The Orphans of COVID: America's Hidden Toll, X / o n e r a t e d - The Murder of Malcolm X and 55 Years to Justice, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. For six years, she had endured a tube inserted in her windpipe, or trachea, to keep her alive, but her discomfort and distress were becoming more and more unbearable. The Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm. KI commissioned surgeon Bengt Gerdin, a professor emeritus at Uppsala University, to investigate the issue. Chatri Sityodtong But it was already too late. Starting in 2011, Macchiarini performed three transplantations of synthetic tracheas at Karolinska University Hospital, but one of those patients died in 2012, the timeline reports. What's next for abortion rights in America? Dr. Genden also transplanted the cricoid, cartilage cuffing the trachea, supplanting Ms. Seins completely destroyed cricoid. Why dont the Electoral College and popular vote always match up? Benita Alexander with one of the custom-made gowns intended for her wedding [Investigation Discovery]. Emanuela Pecchia has been married to Paolo Macchiarini for over 30 years. He convinced the Karolinska Institute that this could make them famous, and they just let him do it. As of late March, 6.5 percent of cells in the donor trachea were hers, with the proportion increasing, he said. His operation was on June 9, 2011, at the Karolinska University Hospital, where he received the upgraded plastic trachea made at University College London. Macchiarini was turning the dream of regenerative medicine into a reality. Ciaran Lynch, born in 2000 in Ireland without a functional trachea, received a transplant on March 15, 2010, at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London. Despite having a wife and a family, Paolo was in a public affair with the internet star Benita Alexandra. In part, this is because the field of windpipe repair is a niche area. Guided by a high-powered microscope, he used surgical thread half the diameter of a human hair. Macchiarini told people that Barack and Michelle Obama, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Nicolas Sarkozy, and Vladimir Putin would attend the wedding, Andrea Bocelli would perform, and Pope Francis (a patient of his, or so he said) would officiate the ceremony, per Vanity Fair. Jakarta Macchiarinis lawyer declined to comment to Swedish media today about whether his client would appeal. Benita Alexander had no way of knowing that, by the end of her love story, her heart would be broken and many of Paolos patients who received the miracle transplants would be dead. Most, including Andemariam Beyene, are now dead. Last year, however, the dream soured, exposing an ugly reality. The apparent success of Ms. Seins operation is also notable because the trachea field has been rocked for years by a sensational scandal. Death for Season 2 at Peacock, From 'Truth About Pam' to 'Candy,' True-Crime EPs Tell the Truth (VIDEO). Louisiana Woman Disappeared After Giving Somebody A Ride, 5 Things That Still Bother Us About The Unsolved Maura Murray Case, Two Texas Teens Left After Curfew In 1988 And Never Returned, What Happened To Zion Foster? But the vice-chancellor of Karolinska Institute, Anders Hamsten, wasnt bound by this judgement. Called Experimenten (The Experiments), it argued convincingly that Macchiarinis artificial windpipes were not the life-saving wonders wed all been led to believe. And because it was built from Castillos own cells, she didnt need to be on any risky immunosuppressant drugs. Eduard Folayang KI officials let him do this. Look out for a message in your inbox in. The secret sauce in his approach, he said, is transplanting not just the donor trachea but also its attached esophagus (food tube), thyroid gland and thyroid arteries. The answer came only a couple of weeks later, when Swedish television began broadcasting a three-part expos of Macchiarini and his work. The university board was dismissed and even Harriet Wallberg, whod moved on to become the chancellor for all Swedish universities, lost her job. Paolo was a world-renowned surgeon who spoke six languages, mingled with the global elite, and resembled George Clooney. While there isnt enough data to actually prove this, we do have some key indicators. He was handsome, suave, and a charmer. All but one died following severe complications with the implants. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Disgraced tracheal transplant surgeon is handed But when Dr. Sander S. Florman, director of Mount Sinais Transplantation Institute, and LiveOnNY, a nonprofit organ donation organization, agreed to collaborate, his wife, Audrey, encouraged him. After several weeks in recovery, she is home. California Science and AAAS are working tirelessly to provide credible, evidence-based information on the latest scientific research and policy, with extensive free coverage of the pandemic. The couple has been married for 30 years now. It sounded unbelievable, but Paolo explained to her that he had treated Pope John Paul II in the past, and had become part of a highly classified group of doctors that treated the global elite. The Karolinska Institute was seduced by Macchiarini, said Dr. Gerdin. The first was a Vanity Fair article about his affair with Benita Alexander, an award-winning producer for NBC News. Macchiarinis fall was swift, but troubling questions remain about why he was allowed to continue his experiments for so long. The couple had traveled a lot, but there were some things In September 2020, Swedish prosecutors announced charges against him for aggravated assault in connection to three surgeries that he had performed at the. Gerdin says the conviction on one count still shows that health care doesnt stand above the law. Recently, Ms. Sein, covering the hole with her hand to speak, enthused about having the energy to cook sesame chicken for the first time and how she aims to visit relatives in Puerto Rico. Award-winning documentary-maker Benita Alexander was swept off her feet by renowned Italian doctor Paolo Macchiarini in 2013 while she was working on a story about his pioneering medical work. Investigations by the hospital and the Karolinska Institute revealed that issues with Dr. Macchiarinis work had been covered up. Back in New York, Benita found herself unable to stop thinking about Paolo's patients. How we can build a clean and renewable future. The couple had traveled extensively, but there were a The case is pending. No one wanted to collaborate with me. According to hospital staff, she had roughly 40 near-death experiences during this time, the judgment said. Paolo Macchiarini
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