Surgeons: A Matter of Life or Death - Season 2

With remarkable access to the University Hospitals Birmingham - one of Britain's leading NHS trusts - this new series features some of the most ground-breaking surgical procedures being performed in the UK. Each life-saving or life-changing operation involves split-second decision-making against a constant risk to life. Sajid has a massive aneurysm just above his heart that could burst at any moment. And if it bursts, he would bleed to death. Margaret needs an urgent operation to remove a tumour from the lining of her brain. 

Maxillofacial surgeons face a challenge as Susan's aggressive cancer spreads from her upper jaw to her eye and nose. Without urgent surgery, the tumour may become inoperable. And removing it will leave a significant hole in Susan's face, which is going to need complex reconstruction using bone and tissue from her hip. Raj Nijjar operates on 80-year-old Maureen to fix her stomach, which has shifted into her chest. Richard Irving treats Charlotte's a debilitating facial paralysis that has blighted her life for three years. 

Syed's life hangs in the balance as his testicular cancer has spread into his heart. If the tumour dislodges, it could block prove fatal. Consultant urological surgeons undertake a radical plan with the monumental task of removing the tumour, along with help from the cardiac surgeons. In the thoracic theatres, surgeon prepares to operate on 77-year-old David. Last year, David underwent surgery in another hospital to remove cancer from his rib, but tests revealed that the disease is growing back. Renal surgeons prepare to perform a life-changing kidney transplant. Mark had his kidneys removed due to kidney disease, leaving him entirely reliant on dialysis to survive. His half-brother James voluntarily undergoes surgery to donate his kidney and give Mark his life back.

ENT surgeon Shahz Ahmed prepares to operate on Sarah. At just 35-years-old, she has a large bone tumour growing in the sinus area of her head. As the tumour grows, it's pushing into her skull and pressing on her eye - and without treatment, she will eventually go blind. Mike is having a high-risk but potentially life-saving operation. Despite initially being told that his pancreatic cancer was inoperable, hepatobiliary surgeon Nik Chatzizacharias believes he can remove the tumour. And surgeons operate on Deborah, a mother of three with early-stage breast cancer.

Claire has a tumour growing at the bridge between her brain and her nose. If left untreated, the tumour will spread into her brain and kill her. Surgeon Shahz Ahmed must act quickly. Getting the cancer out safely is only half the battle. If he can't mend the hole he has to make in Claire's skull to get the tumour out, she could develop meningitis. And Alan needs an equally complex procedure that carries a risk of death. One of his heart valves is severely damaged, leaving him with just months to live as his heart struggles to pump enough blood throughout his body. Surgeon Moninder Bhabra must delve deep inside Alan's heart to delicately repair the valve.

Cardiac surgeon Aaron Ranasinghe receives news of a donor heart for mother-of-three Katie. Less than 200 heart transplants are performed each year in the NHS, and Katie has spent over three months in hospital waiting for a match. Aaron must work quickly to remove her old heart, prepare for the new one, and then get blood flowing through it as soon as possible. There's a tense wait to see if the heart will be strong enough to keep Katie alive. Surgeons also prepare to operate on Edward, a 75-year-old grandfather who needs life-saving surgery for aggressive kidney cancer. And in the neurosurgery theatres, surgeon Alex Paluzzi aims to end Carole's five-year struggle with extraordinary debilitating pain in her face, caused by a blood vessel pressing on her trigeminal nerve and wearing it down with each pulse of her heart.