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In the fascinating and disturbing new Netflix docu-series, Bad Surgeon: Love Under the Knife, viewers learn about surgeon Dr Paolo Macchiarini, who was initially praised for his seemingly pioneering work in developing plastic windpipes (brushed with stem cells) for patients – that appeared to overcome the problem of organ donor recipients going on to reject donated organs.

However, despite being championed in the media, it was later discovered that many of the people Dr Paolo Macchiarini operated on died of severe complications, relating to their new plastic windpipes, which had begun to rot internally.

Colleagues at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden then also raised the alarm after noticing that Macchiarini wasn't providing any evidence of having trialled his plastic surgery technique on animals before moving onto humans.

Macchiarini's personal life was as chaotic as his professional life too, and viewers of Bad Surgeon are also introduced to Benita Alexander, to whom Macchiarini was engaged, whilst being in a relationship with Ana Paula Bernardes – with whom he shares a daughter.

Alexander went on to expose Macchiarini's web of lies in a Vanity Fair article which caught the attention of Bernardes, who then ended her relationship with Macchiarini in 2016. Macchiarini was later sentence to 2 years and 6 months in prison for gross assault of three patients.

Who is Ana Paula Bernardes from Bad Surgeon?

When Ana's story is first introduced to viewers, initially it's explained that she was a grieving mother, whose son Danilo died after being operated on by Dr Macchiarini following a car accident in 2010.

However, Ana then shares that while she went on to sue the hospital that treated Danilo for manslaughter, who passed away following complications, for manslaughter, she didn't hold Paolo Macchiarini personally accountable – at least not at first. Ana adds that the pair then struck up an unlikely relationship when the surgeon began to regularly phone her following Danilo's death.

During this especially vulnerable time, Ana developed feelings for Dr Macchiarini and the pair embarked on a relationship, travelling the world together. A few years into the relationship, Ana fell pregnant with the couple's daughter.

Their relationship came to an end in 2016 after Macchiarini's fiancé, Benita Alexander, went public with her story of being duped by the surgeon, who had lied about his professional accolades and their wedding, and spoke to Vanity Fair about her story.

Where is Ana Paula Bernardes from Bad Surgeon now?

Much like Benita Alexander, Ana Paula Bernardes, whose son Danilo died after being operated on by Dr Macchiarini, is still vocal about her encounter with the convicted surgeon – with whom she went on to share a daughter.

She has an Instagram account (@anapaulabernardes2023) where she has posted about the Bad Surgeon documentary, writing: "Pathological liar, arrogant idiot, psychopath, unscrupulous, had no remorse, heartless man 💔 .... 🤮🥰 same words he was saying to her [Benita] he was saying to me! How can you define such a being?! 😡".

Ana Paula Bernardes also continues to share both painful and joyful memories of her much-loved and missed son, Danilo, who was operated on by Dr Paolo Macchiarini – and who, like (at least seven) of his other patients, later lost his life due to complications developing.

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 Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.

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