The couple had traveled a lot, but there were some things Because immunosuppressant drugs are required to prevent rejection of the transplant, cancer patients would be eligible only if free of cancer for five years, Dr. Genden said. WebIn reality, Paolo had not worked with the Pope, and he was still married to his wife of 30 years. Support for Macchiarini remained strong, even as his patients began to die. The story portrayed Macchiarini, who was already married at the time, as a serial fabulist who exaggerated or lied about degrees, academic appointments, and personal accomplishments. The court had to apply the intentional indifference standard for the assault charges, he says, which is difficult to prove. Guided by a high-powered microscope, he used surgical thread half the diameter of a human hair. A surgeon who just a decade ago was celebrated around the globe as a pioneer in stem cell transplants has been convicted of one count of causing bodily harm, a felony, in a Swedish court. An independent investigator agreed. The Italian surgeon and his Italian wife Emanuela Pecchia have one son and one daughter. Dressed in a white lab coat or in surgical scrubs, with his broad, handsome face and easy charm, he certainly looked the part. An unhappy result of this is the rise of pseudo-scientific therapies. Gerdin says the conviction on one count still shows that health care doesnt stand above the law. 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. There is South Koreas Hwang Woo-suk who, in 2004, falsely claimed to have created the first human embryonic stem cells by means of cloning. It is fitting that Macchiarinis career unravelled at the Karolinska Institute. A genius is a revolutionary by definition, a risk-taker and a law-breaker. According to Pierre Delaere, a professor of respiratory surgery at KU Leuven, Belgium, Macchiarinis experiments were bound to end badly. 2023 American Association for the Advancement of Science. Its fascinating to rewatch as a lesson on how not to report on medical science. A panel of judges unanimously ruled that the interventions were not in accordance with science and proven experience, according to a statement released today. The apparent success of Ms. Seins operation is also notable because the trachea field has been rocked for years by a sensational scandal. Was he conning his patients, his colleagues and the scientific community? Likewise, they didnt undertake a proper risk assessment of the procedure, nor did Macchiarinis team seek government permits for the plastic windpipes, stem cells, and chemical growth factors they used. The first successful direct transplant of a trachea is a medical milestone that could help thousands of people with airways damaged by ventilators and other causes. Coming from different countries including Eritrea, Spain, Russian, Iceland, Britain and the United States, 20 patients were operated on by Macchiarini, who provide them with an artificial windpipe. We have estimated Paolo Macchiarini's net worth , money, salary, income, and assets. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. However, its imperative to mention that the doctor has only been criminally found guilty of causing bodily harm to a single patient he operated on in Sweden back in 2011 two other charges of assault were dismissed. In September 2020, Swedish prosecutors announced charges against him for aggravated assault in connection to three surgeries that he had performed at the. The theory was simple: let the body do most of the work. In 2013, the hospital halted future operations with synthetic trachea and opted to not extend Macchiarinis contract. But that day is always postponed. Unfortunately, though, she reportedly succumbed to her underlying disease in January of 2012. 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. As it was built from Claudias own cells, she didnt need to be on any risky immunosuppressant drugs. And because it was built from Castillos own cells, she didnt need to be on any risky immunosuppressant drugs. In addition to his partner of over 30 years, he also had a special next woman. In their view, Macchiarini was certainly engaged in clinical research. The vice-chancellor, Anders Hamsten, resigned. US Capitol But owing to her cancer returning and the formation of a fistula, she too passed away. In their view, he was grossly misrepresenting his results and the health of his patients. In the first couple of years at Karolinska, he put plastic airways into three patients. This went on for three years until, just recently, Grinnemo was cleared of all wrongdoing. He understood how difficult her life had become. The procedure involved replacing a damaged trachea with a plastic replica that had been soaked in the patients stem cells. After several weeks in recovery, she is home. Previously considered a pioneer for using both biological and synthetic scaffolds For other cases, though, doctors say the approach seems promising. Ground-breaking work on synthetic organ transplants made Paolo Macchiarini one of the most famous doctors in the world. It is thus likely she has since passed away. Photographs document Ms. Seins trachea transformation: Her old windpipe looks raw and red, her new one smooth as porcelain. She was wearing a blonde wig, and her nervous laughter is audible on the video they shot. The popular press also has a lot to answer for. None other than Pope Francis would officiate, and his papal palace in Castel Gandolfo would serve as the venue. All but one died following severe complications with the implants. Bangkok Alexander admits that, at the time, she was in a vulnerable place. (The patient who survived had the implant removed.). Chief judge Bjoern Skaensberg said the court agreed that Macchiarinis operations were not consistent with science and proven experience, but the court determined that two of the interventions were justifiable.. All rights reserved. Another was a Russian mother named Julia Tuulik, per BBC News. The Karolinska Institute, alleging scientific misconduct, dismissed Dr. Macchiarini, who has long denied wrongdoing. The very next day, she got an email from a friend that outlined the Pope's plans to visit South America on Benita and Paolo's wedding day. Last year, however, the dream soured, exposing an ugly reality. Today, Ms. Sein, 56, dances and plays tag with her grandchildren and plans to resume working, possibly as an acupuncturist. She soon went into full-on investigative journalist mode, and learned that Paolo had, yup lied about everything. Gerdin determined that Macchiarini committed scientific misconduct, but leadership at the Karolinska Institute ignored the findings and cleared Macchiarini. In other countries, more of Macchiarinis patients died after receiving one of his artificial windpipes. Ultimate Fighting Championship As Grinnemo recalls, it nearly destroyed his career: I didnt receive any new grants. Washington For Ms. Sein, the procedure was a long-sought dream. Faced with this public relations disaster, the Karolinska Institute immediately promised to investigate the allegations but then, within days, suddenly announced that Macchiarinis contract would not be extended. According to the magazine, in 2012 he was charged in Italy with attempted aggravated fraud related to alleged efforts to persuade very ill patients to undergo radical surgery at facilities where he had privileges. 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Some answers have emerged from the official inquiries into the Karolinska Institute and the Karolinska University hospital. It relieved a little bit of burden from him.. As the home of the Nobel prize in physiology or medicine, one of its ambitions is to create scientific celebrities. In the case of Cetir, he should have known the risk of complications was higher than the expected benefit, the judges ruled. This set a dangerous example. Benita Alexander and Paolo Macchiarini in Venice, Italy [Investigation Discovery]. By using a patients own cells, Dr. Macchiarini sought to rectify an age-old problem with transplants involving donated organs, which the body sometimes rejects as foreign tissue. They exchange their vows in Italy. And fooled almost everyone. That's when, Benita said, it hit her: She had given up a good job and spent $50,000 on a "bogus fantasy wedding" to a man who already had at least two families. The case is pending. Hes clearly bright and has accomplishments, but he cant contain himself. The couple set a date: July 11, 2015. They shared a happy relationship. Sonia Sein, outside her Bronx home, had irreparable damage to her trachea. I could feel it in my lungs.. She spent more than three years in intensive care and endured 200 surgical procedures, theTimes reports. When Macchiarini accused one of them, Karl-Henrik Grinnemo, of stealing his work in a grant application, Hamsten found him guilty. Acquittal is therefore difficult to defend., But Gerdin says the verdict is not unexpected. He was eventually dismissed from Karolinska. 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. Los Angeles Only four months after Macchiarini operated on Claudia Castillo, his results provisional but very positive were published online by the Lancet. Benita said that, if she can take any lessons away from what happened to her, she hopes that her experience will help others. They and their loved ones fall victim to false hope. While there isnt enough data to actually prove this, we do have some key indicators. Benita traveled to Paolo's Barcelona home with two friends and a video camera. You cant justify doing experimental surgery and immunosuppression when you see something else that looks perfect, so you realize, wow, were out of business., As Dr. Macchiarinis work drew criticism, Dr. Genden revived his idea, but was uncertain about trying it. He has been convicted of research-related crimes in Italy and Sweden. 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According to a witness report, Paolo operated on a 45-50-year-old woman of Middle Eastern origin in a private clinic in Barcelona in the fall of 2008. Greys Anatomy Alum Isaiah Washington Retires from Acting, Tom Sizemore, Saving Private Ryan Star, Dies at 61, Chris Rock Live on Netflix, No Salvation on Last of Us, A World Without Bart Simpson, Kids Choice Awards, Rachael Ray Ending After 17 Seasons: Its Time for Me to Move On, Enver Gjokaj Returns as Captain Milius on NCIS: Hawaii, Copyright 2023 NTVB Media, Inc., All Rights Reserved, Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence, Luke Kirby, Ashley Madekwe & More Join Dr. But as time went on, she could not resist her connection to the dashing surgeon and she violated the number one rule of journalism: Never get involved with a person you're reporting on. Although the difference in his birthplace, he is known to be an Italian by his nationality. As it turned out, Macchiarinis patients werent all at deaths door at the time he treated them. Largely confined to her Bronx apartment, she needed home health aides and had to quit her career as a social worker for pregnant women. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. To some extent, they believed Macchiarini because he told them what they wanted to hear. The court heard testimony in the case between 27 April and 12 May. He is still licensed to practice medicine in Europe. It is unclear whether Dr. Macchiarini is still practicing medicine, but his lawyer said in May that he had no income. Macchiarini has consistently claimed he is innocent. California As of late March, 6.5 percent of cells in the donor trachea were hers, with the proportion increasing, he said. The pope, the palace, the world leaders, the famous tenor they were all fantasies. A life-saver and a game-changer. Andrea Bocelli was to sing at the ceremony. The nine-centimeter transplant replaced all but two centimeters of her trachea. In 2016, Claudia returned to the Hospital Clinic to have her left lung removed, and as per the last reports, she is now alive and doing relatively well. Theres a void in his personality that he seems to want to fill by conning more and more people.. His lawyer did not respond to emails from Science today. Paolo Macchiarinis income source is mostly from being a successful . Reports of their success always seemed like hot air to him. Illinois 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. Macchiarini had often boasted to Alexander of his famous friends. Emanuela Pecchia is married to Paolo Macchiarini for over 30 years. The court ruling Thursday was in a case involving a Turkish woman named Yesim Cetir, who was the longest surviving of his patients at Karolinska. By the time the program aired, in mid-2014, the couple were planning their marriage. Dr. Genden said some scientists told him Youre out of your mind because trying a transplant would risk his reputation. Castillo was soon back home, chasing after her kids. Miss Universe 2021 But Benita stood by her man and, she said, tried to help him through a tough time. China However, he eventually found out about his previous associations. The operations were hailed at the time as a breakthrough in regenerative medicine, although some observers remained skeptical. Therefore, on June 12, 2008, at Hospital Clinic Barcelona, she received a cadaver trachea graft implanted as a bronchus transplant. Paolo dropped another bomb when he told Benita that, despite the fact that both of them had been divorced, Pope Francis would officiate at their wedding. She pushed through his appointment despite the fact that he had some very negative references and dubious claims on his rsum. It would be a star-studded event. But it did not work, and a court in Sweden has found him criminally liable for the harm inflicted on a patient. Each new scientific discovery brings a flood of stories about how it will revolutionise medicine one day soon. But even if his days had been numbered, this didnt necessarily justify what Macchiarini put him through. No one is more powerless than a patient with a disease, said Dr. Gerdin. Cardiothoracic surgeon Matthias Corbascio, one of Macchiarinis former colleagues at KI who first raised questions about the work, describes it as terrible and insane. The court basically gave him a slap on the wrist, says Corbascio, who is now at the University of Copenhagen. And then there are the surgeons on Dr. Death. Every year, it gives science a show-business makeover, picking out from the mass of medical researchers those individuals deserving of superstardom. This guy mutilated people., Between 2011 and 2014, Macchiarini implanted artificial windpipes in at least eight patients in Sweden, the United States, and Russia. Vanity Fair also later discovered that several of Paolo's other statements were false, including his claims about having been an associate professor at the University of Pisa. Or rather, his celebrity status helped him do so. But for now, lets focus solely on his medical patients, shall we? Paolo Macchiarinis most notable patient is Claudia Castillo. Born in 1977, this Colombian living in Spain woman suffered from tuberculosis-damaged airways. I have to expose him.". An alarmingly wide gap has grown between what we expect from stem cells and what they deliver. New York Now his reputation lies in tatters. Ms. Sein speaking with Dr. Eric M. Genden Sr., left, who developed the pioneering procedure, and Dr. Sander S. Florman, director of Mount Sinais Transplantation Institute. 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. Benita Alexander on attending Paolo Macchiarinis criminal trial in Sweden Alexander said she attended Macchiarini's trial for closure, seven years after she was The grant ended in spring 2017. The Italian surgeon and his Italian wife Emanuela Pecchia have one son and one daughter. Sorry we couldn't set a reminder for you this time. A 19-year-old Iowa college student allegedly defrauded over 400 donors after raising more than $37,000 by faking a triple cancer diagnosis. But in October 2017, the attorney general's office announced that a crime could not be proven, because the patients might have died anyway. His net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. Her colleague had sent an article that said the pope would not be in Rome, or even Italy, on the day of their wedding. We were doing good research, but it didnt matter I thought I was going to lose my lab, my staff everything.. As Selena ran from the room, Yolanda Saldivar shot her in the back. Macchiarinis fall was swift, but troubling questions remain about why he was allowed to continue his experiments for so long. He hopes the immunosuppressant drugs, which can create health risks, can be reduced or even stopped if the entire graft becomes filled with Sonias cells.. Your tax-deductible contribution plays a critical role in sustaining this effort. Other trachea replacement attempts include transplanting part of a donors frozen, preserved aorta, the bodys main artery, and fabricating tracheas from patients own chest muscles and rib cartilage. Allegations also emerged that the risky procedure was performed on at least one person who was not critically ill at the time. The felony conviction means Macchiarini would have a hard time finding employment again in Sweden, Gerdin says. But it was already too late. Called Experimenten (The Experiments), it argued convincingly that Macchiarinis artificial windpipes were not the life-saving wonders wed all been led to believe. However, Swedish TV reporters also decided to take a close look at Macchiarinis work. An advantage is that immunosuppressants are necessary only for several months, he said. 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. The 18-hour procedure, conceived and led by Dr. Eric M. Genden Sr., chairman of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery at Mount Sinai Health System in New York, is a milestone because unlike kidneys, hearts and lungs the trachea has defied decades of transplantation attempts. 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? Disgraced Italian surgeon convicted of criminal harm to stem cell patient. Other witnesses contradicted that, arguing that with Andemariams slow-growing cancer, minor surgeries and other treatments could have kept him alive. Not only that, they later covered it up.. Her friends described him as "Mr. Big" from Sex and the City. Jakarta Macchiarinis lawyer declined to comment to Swedish media today about whether his client would appeal.