The new series Surgeons: At The Edge of Life premieres on Thursday, October 12th, at 10:25 pm on Discovery Home & Health and discovery+. The episodes follow the frantic daily lives of some of the best surgeons in the United Kingdom. With exclusive behind-the-scenes access to renowned hospitals, such as Queen Elizabeth, in Birmingham, and Addenbrooke, in Cambridge, the cameras provide an in-depth look at what happens in the busiest surgery centers in the country.
In the series, surgeons face experimental and risky procedures, using innovative technologies to deal with diseases and potentially fatal situations. The environment these professionals face is under extreme and constant pressure – a small slip or loss of concentration for a few seconds can ruin everything.
In the production’s debut episode, the audience follows, among other procedures, the removal of cancer on the face and facial reconstruction. The surgery is so complex that it requires two senior specialists. One of them, Sat Parmar, says: “The problem with these long surgeries is that they are extremely exhausting, both physically and mentally.” Furthermore, the doctor points out that team collaboration is crucial, and confirms that he has “complete trust” in his professional partner for over 14 years, Tim Martin.
The patient in question is Teresa, a 53-year-old woman who saw her life turned upside down in four weeks when she discovered an aggressive tumor on her face. “It started with a pain in my face that I thought was a dental abscess,” she says. The procedure will harm the entire right side of Teresa’s face: “I’m prepared to give up the vision in my right eye, and my facial structure”, and she adds, “I accept it because there is no other option”.
In addition to the importance of getting rid of cancer, surgeons emphasize how essential facial reconstruction is so that Teresa can continue her collective life. “The face is very unique because it is the thing that we all value most: our appearance”, points out expert Parmar. To replace the parts of the skull removed during the operation, doctors use parts of the patient’s hip, so that the face can look as similar as possible to what it was before.
Over the course of the series, audiences come face to face with the troubled lives inside the UK’s busiest surgery centres, where doctors deal daily with extreme procedures, exhausting days, sudden decisions and life-and-death cases.
SURGEONS: AT THE EDGE OF LIFE
Premiere: Thursday, October 12th, at 10:25 pm on Discovery Home & Health and discovery+
