Series Premiere Date: Dec. 9, 2020
Format: 4 x 60 min.
The Surgeon’s Cut is made by BBC Studios Production. Executive producers are Andrew Cohen and James Van der Pool. Episodes directed by Lucy Blakstad, Stephen Cooter, James Newton and Sophie Robinson.
About the Series:
The Surgeon’s Cut profiles four ground-breaking surgeons from around the world, each with a visionary approach to their craft. Viewers will follow along as they perform innovative operations and procedures, and reveal personal insight into their journey into medicine, providing a unique window into the world of surgery. Through the individual stories of these experts, the series explores how our understanding of the human body is constantly being reinvented by new discoveries and techniques. Specialty areas featured include fetal medicine, neurosurgery, transplant surgery and cardiology.
Executive Producer James Van der Pool, BBC Studios Production, says: “There is no greater drama than the pure intensity of pioneering surgery. From life-saving procedures on an unborn child to brain surgery on an awake patient, we’ve captured some of the most dramatic and technically demanding procedures in modern medicine. Each surgeon also shares the unique story of how they reached the top of their field, from what first sparked their passion, to the obstacles they had to overcome, be it poverty, sexism, racism – or simply where they were born. The series reveals a triumph of the human spirit, an endless quest for knowledge and a fierce devotion to saving human life. Bringing the combined power of Netflix and BBC Studios’ Science Unit together for the first time, The Surgeon’s Cut is a profoundly touching insight into surgery in the 21st century.”
Episodes:
Saving Life Before Birth
Directed by James Newton
Professor Kypros Nicolaides is one of the pioneers of fetal surgery and his discoveries have revolutionized the field.
The Surgeon’s Cut follows Nicolaides at King’s College Hospital in London where his ground-breaking work in endoscopic laser surgery is used to treat twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, a life-threatening prenatal condition.
Sacred Brain
Directed by Lucy Blakstad
Neurosurgeon Dr. Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa operates on over 250 brains a year, he’s also a distinguished stem cell researcher whose career in medicine grew from humble beginnings in Mexico.
The Surgeon’s Cut joins Dr. Quinones-Hinojosa at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida where he uses the operating table as an extension of the lab, striving to find a cure for brain cancer.
Living Donor
Directed by Sophie Robinson
Dr. Nancy Ascher has devoted her career to organ transplants and transplant research. The first woman to ever perform a liver transplant surgery, The Surgeon’s Cut follows her at the University of California San Francisco where she continues to make strides in the field of medicine.
Heart & Soul
Directed by Stephen Cooter
Dr. Devi Shetty is a renowned cardiac surgeon and founder of India’s Narayana Health, one of the largest medical centers in the world.
The Surgeon’s Cut follows Dr. Shetty as he treats patients from all walks of life, prioritizing low-cost, accessible health care while he and his team together perform upwards of thirty surgeries a day.
More information: Netflix.com/thesurgeonscut