Surgeons: At the Edge of Life

Consultant hepato-biliary surgeon Rajan Ravindran takes on complex procedures involving the liver, pancreas and gall bladder. Meanwhile, at the Western General Hospital, consultant urological surgeon Alex Laird's patient has a lot to lose.

Surgeons battle to save a patient with an aggressive tumour, and a patient whose aorta, the body's biggest artery which supplies all the critical abdominal organs, could rupture at any moment.

At NHS Lothian's Royal Infirmary, consultant cardiothoracic surgeon Renzo Pessotto takes on some of the most challenging cases in his field, and his next patient is no exception: a 78-year-old with a failing heart.

At St John's Hospital in Livingston, consultant ear, nose and throat surgeon Ashley Hay specialises in some of the most challenging cancer cases: removing tumours from the head and neck. He's joining forces with consultant plastic surgeon Patrick Addison for a complex and unusual case. They're hoping to both save their patient's life and preserve her ability to smile.

Surgeons at NHS Lothian remove a recurring brain tumour from a 25-year-old patient and attempt a rare 'off pump' cardiac procedure on a man with severe coronary disease.

Doctors at NHS Lothian perform high-risk surgery to save their patient's sight, and three specialists work together to treat a complex case of advanced ovarian cancer.