Great Ormond Street. Part 1, Pushing the boundaries.

The first in a three-part series looking in depth at the challenging and inspiring work of specialist paediatricians at Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital, London. This part focuses on the work of surgeons and doctors who are faced with life and death surgical decisions about children. Eight-month-old Natalie had surgery to remove a large amount of life-threatening aneurysms - the surgery leaves her with just one kidney, blindness (which she recovers from later) and likely brain damage. Eight-month-old Aicha has a fatal pulmonary valve stenosis; surgeons initially refuse to operate as they don't feel they can help her but the family are persevere. The surgical team contact other experts around the world for a second opinion, which enables them to reverse their initial decision (the meetings where the surgical team discuss case histories are of particular note). Two-day-old Blessing has twisted heart valves and requires immediate heart surgery. Unfortunately she haemorrhages during surgery and dies. The second opinions for Aicha come back and recommendations are for surgical intervention; the programme shows the detailed discussions between doctors and surgeons about the case. Nine-year-old Bryan's heart is failing and it becomes clear that the only option so save his life is a heart transplant. Bryan and his parents are briefed about the transplant surgery and Bryan's questions are particularly affecting. The programme follows his surgery in depth. However, the surgery is not successful and he passes away two weeks later. Meanwhile the surgery for Aicha goes ahead despite some of the surgeons' reservations and it looks as though she will make a good recovery.