'We have a passion and a drive to deliver the best service possible': Watch the final episode of Saving Lives in Cardiff
The final episode of Saving Lives in Cardiff airs on Monday, 12 May at 9pm on BBC One Wales and Wednesday, 14 May at 9pm on BBC Two. The documentary offers a rare glimpse into the incredible work of surgical teams at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board and the patients whose lives depend on them.
As lead surgeon in the University Hospital of Wales cardiac department, Dheeraj Mehta must deal with a backlog of cases and the pressures of staff shortages, which cause delays and even cancellations of operations.
In the final episode, he will operate on a patient at the top of his urgent list who is at risk of a serious heart attack. Retired police officer Ceri has waited six weeks for double bypass surgery because of the pressures on the system.
To treat Ceri, Dheeraj will use an innovative ‘beating heart’ technique. Instead of placing Ceri on a bypass machine and stopping his heart, it’ll continue to beat and pump blood throughout the surgery. Dheeraj is one of only 10 surgeons who regularly perform this technique in the UK. It’s a highly specialised skill but not without risks.
“I hope that Saving Lives makes it easier for patients and the public to understand - and be somewhat empathetic to - the circumstances we find ourselves in,” said Dheeraj, who has been a consultant in Cardiff for 22 years. “Our team has a passion and a drive to try and push things forward and deliver the best service possible.
“For many people, cardiac surgery is a concept that seems scary and slightly alien in terms of what goes on. I think Saving Lives helps people understand the kind of human beings working in the operating theatre, and it should give the public reassurance that we know what we’re talking about.
“It’s also a much bigger affair than the surgeon alone. There are other vital medical and non-medical staff here that support the patient throughout their journey.”
As a cardiac surgeon, Dheeraj said he is actively involved in the management of patient care on a day-to-day basis until they leave hospital. “I think that continuity of care is something I find really appealing,” he added. “It keeps me thinking from a medical perspective and keeps my knowledge up to date.
He concluded: “Heart disease remains the biggest killer in Wales, and one factor is people’s [poor] lifestyles. That inevitably has an impact on the type and severity of disease we see and makes our work more challenging. But what makes the job worthwhile is seeing the positive impact you have on people’s lives – the stresses, the challenges, the hours you put in then just melt away.”
Meanwhile in episode six, in the hospital’s maxillofacial department, surgeons Cellan Thomas and Drazsen Vuity must urgently operate on 69-year-old Marie who needs a cancerous tumour removed from her jaw. It was spotted during a trip to the dentist.
The type of tumour Marie has is often linked to smoking, a habit she developed as a young woman when it was common in the social clubs where she spent many nights out.
In a 10-hour operation, Cellan and Drazen must remove a large section of Marie’s jaw and replace it with bone from her leg. The chance of complications both during and after the surgery is very high, but without it Marie will not survive. Cellan does all he can to reassure Marie and her husband of nearly 50 years that they will do all they can to secure her future.
Cellan said: “You put your passion into the job. Every worrying moment I have, I’ve lost a piece of hair, and you can probably tell how much I’ve worried over the years, but I wouldn’t want to do anything else.”
Elsewhere, in the Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital for Wales, Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) surgeon Andy Hall is one of three consultants who fit cochlear implants. These small electronic devices enable those with severe to profound hearing loss to access sounds.
Andy’s patient in the episode is three-year-old Phoebe. Over the last year, her hearing has significantly reduced and her parents, Lee and Chelsey, want her to have the procedure to help her hearing and language development before she starts school. Andy and the family won’t know if the procedure has been a success until the implants are turned on for the first time two weeks later.
“The Children’s Hospital for Wales is a hugely exciting place to work. There are so many external pressures on the service, but it’s fantastic to have the opportunity to showcase the hard work of all the teams,” said Andy, who has been a consultant for five years and previously worked at London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital.
“One of the joys of paediatric surgery is following up patients over time, from the first consultation when you meet the patient and their mum and dad, going through the surgery and then following them up in the long-term.”
Watch Saving Lives in Cardiff on Monday, 12 May at 9pm on BBC One Wales and on Wednesday, 14 May on BBC Two. You can catch up on the first and second series of Saving Lives in Cardiff on BBC iPlayer.
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