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00:02Surgeons they can change your life forever as they tread the line between
00:06life and death we got a bed what's it really like to hold someone's life in
00:13your hands it's miracles and disasters nothing in between let's get this bugger
00:19out and how do you balance the needs of others with the needs of your family
00:31now we go behind the mask to find out just what it takes feel like you've been hit by a
00:37bus
00:38to live life as a surgeon a bit of a roller coaster oh right yeah it all went really well
00:45Professor Omar is number one
01:04Sasha Dewar is a consultant breast surgeon working at Broomfield Hospital in Essex
01:11my parents were doctors so medicines in my DNA and I chose to do surgery because it's the hardest thing
01:18as a woman that I possibly could have done at that time only 17% of NHS consultant surgeons
01:26in the UK are female breast surgery was the perfect combination of science and creativity
01:34get to cure people whilst also making women feel good about themselves
01:43the breast unit at Broomfield is one of the largest specialist centres in the country
01:51today Sasha is giving biopsy results to 36 year old Jess who recently found a lump on her breast
01:59she's here with her mum Joe
02:01waiting in general was quite tricky on one hand we had time to process it on the other hand it
02:08was
02:08just quite felt like a long time didn't it waiting you've been very strong but yeah it's you just want
02:14to know a definite answer and then a definite plan going forward that's all
02:19you have got a 14 month old baby to keep you yeah exactly I've been busy so
02:25hello Jessica hi I'm Kira one of the breast care nurses and who have you brought with you today
02:30mum please take a seat here hiya come on in I've got matching glasses
02:35I think yours are nicer
02:37okay right so I met you last week and I told you that this wasn't a cyst
02:42this was a solid lump and it looked a little irregular so I was a little bit concerned about
02:46what we were going to find now we've got some more information and we have confirmed that this
02:51is a breast cancer okay
02:55you were expecting it you're young so we will throw everything at you
03:00okay
03:02as Jess's tumour has been found early Sasha can operate on it
03:06let me just say what the operation would be it's a small lump okay so let's just say my aim
03:11is to
03:12take away the lump and a margin of tissue around it a bit like a thick layer of chocolate around
03:18a
03:18malteser and we call that a lumpectomy what you have here in your case is a cell where the cancer
03:26has gone through the cell wall and that's where the word invasive comes in okay invasive cancer has
03:33potential to spread elsewhere in the body most commonly to the lymph nodes at the time of surgery
03:40we'll take a couple away just to make 100% sure yeah okay lymph nodes the lump goes the lab
03:46and then
03:46we have another meeting and I call that checkpoint too okay fine yeah all right so the main thing that
03:51you can do whilst you're waiting is get your fresh air get your five a day look after each other
03:57yes definitely okay it's lovely to meet you both and I can see you're well supported yes and take care
04:04guys bye
04:14Jess is a mum to 14-month-old Matilda
04:19having a little girl has actually been kind of positive because I haven't been able to think so
04:25much because I've been just so busy with her but then also you've got the flip side of that where
04:30you think oh god what if you know the treatment doesn't work then obviously all you're thinking
04:36about is how it affects her which makes her experience you know a little bit scarier
04:42I have confidence in the team but it's very hard to hear your daughter sit there and talk about
04:49potentially serious procedure that's going to happen to it but yeah it's hard when it's your baby
05:06it's operation day and Jess is with her husband Dan
05:16big day's arrived yeah how you feeling my darling yeah good yeah all fine trepidation mixed with
05:22excitement yeah I just want to get rid of it now obviously so so let's pull the curtains around
05:27let's have a little look yeah no problem perfect okay straighten up there we go show more your lumpers
05:37my plan is to keep the scar somewhere neat and discreet at the edge of a natural crease that
05:43you've already got or somewhere that's nicely hidden so when you look at the mirror in the morning
05:49don't see him
05:53Sasha is an oncoplastic specialist combining cancer treatment with reconstructive surgery
05:59the whole recovery from breast cancer we realize it's down to not just being tumor free but how a
06:07woman looks after surgery there are so many women walking around that have had breast cancer but they
06:14don't need to wear a mutilating scar
06:22Nisa get the pictures up for um just please
06:26Sasha is operating with registrar Nisa this is a great picture so that's interesting it's useful you can
06:34see here can't you it's palpable which means you can feel it but it's on the muscle here at the
06:41back so
06:41that's the muscle coming down isn't it so it's a good mammogram and this shows that it's at the
06:45back of the breast there well I think it's going to be what we call the level one glanduloplasty level
06:50one just means bringing the tissue together or in my food vernacular bring the slides the sizes of
06:57the piece of pie together so that there's no dent sounds good okay good let's go Sasha will
07:07make an incision around the areola the area of skin that surrounds the nipple from here she'll gain
07:15access to the breast and remove the tumor she will then remove lymph nodes from the armpit carefully
07:22avoiding the auxiliary vein the main blood vessels supplying and draining the arm finally she'll bring
07:31the breast tissue together without leaving a dent where the tumor has been removed now I'm not
07:42giving you my right hand because it's the one I need to operate with so you're gonna squeeze my left
07:48hands and if you squeeze it really hard I'm okay because I've still got one good one my patients I
07:56hope
07:56find me warm and approachable and kind they might remember that I held their hands as they went off to
08:04sleep so good night have a good sleep you're in good hands but ultimately the moment those theatre
08:12lights go on I've got a job to do remember we can't overrun let's do a background count six five
08:20five before
08:21surgery Jess was injected with a low dose of radioactive material all right blue dye going in guys she is
08:29now also injected with blue dye these will travel to Jess's armpit and allow Sasha to identify the lymph
08:35nodes that need removing good good well done plenty of exposure starting next Sasha makes a small incision to
08:49access the breast tissue one of my arm 40 40 I asked for skin hooks please skin hooks for this
08:58not
08:58cows balls the holes too small yeah agreed agreed agreed agreed so the challenge here is a tiny hole it's
09:08the
09:09closest you'll get to keyhole surgery it is a deep dark hole but it's gonna give her the best on
09:13plastic outcome isn't it yeah I agree you can really feel it can't you yeah it's like a little
09:18tiny golf but it's a Malteser oh that's nice Nita it's bleeding for you to deal with it's just a
09:28bleeder because what happens with tumors is that as they grow they take on a new blood supply it hasn't
09:36taken long to locate the tumor but now before it can be safely removed she'll have to stop the bleeding
09:49at Broomfield Hospital surgeon Sasha Dewar is operating on 36 year old Jess
09:59here we go so that's the chain she's removing a cancerous tumor from Jess's breast okay okay so that
10:09has come from here that's a little triangle look look at that that's where it's come from that would be
10:23the cavity if I didn't try and close it and as soon as she tried to put a bra on
10:29she'd end up with a
10:30cavity like that but what I'm gonna do is bring the edges together let's do the axilla let's do the
10:37armpit there is a chance the cancer could have spread to the lymph nodes in Jess's armpit can I have
10:43some
10:44light over my shoulder please both sides so Sasha will carefully remove some and send them off for
10:49testing so you already had a listen I'd love a bit of volume the two injections Jess had earlier will
10:59mean any lymph nodes that need to be removed will hopefully be dyed blue and emit a radioactive signal
11:07oh look right where the probe is I can see bright blue nodes let's see if that's the node that
11:16was
11:16noisy if the gamma probe makes a noise the lymph node is radioactive and Sasha will remove it so that's
11:26what we call central lymph node hot and blue now the question is how many are there Jess means absolutely
11:37everything to me we met and that was just kind of an instant thing to be honest and wow it
11:47just went so
11:48fast from that point yeah when you know you know right you don't like to think the worst but you
12:02naturally do don't even want to go down that thought pattern of Jess not being around for Matilda really
12:14yeah I guess I'm not trying to overthink at this moment until we know the outcome from today and fingers
12:24crossed it's a positive outcome something up there Sasha has removed two lymph nodes from Jess's armpit
12:35and then there's something here as well when you pulled that out there was another big man behind it
12:40I think oh my god that's so deep the vein which is the main thing that I'm trying to stay
12:46away from
12:48it's right here the axillary vein carries blood from the arm and chest towards the heart
12:58Sasha must work carefully to avoid damaging the vein you think I've got it yeah there's another no it's
13:07deeper I had it there appears to be another lymph node that still needs removing okay are you
13:15protecting me from that very big thing okay let's stay away from that that might be it that just above
13:23it yeah oh that's veins that's veins again if Sasha can't find the final lymph node it could mean
13:33leaving cancerous cells in Jess's body don't move you know it's so high up
13:47bingo there's blue that might be it yeah that's it okay let's get this bugger out they find it deep
13:59inside Jess's armpit it's only tiny it's teeny tiny all that struggle and it's delivered but look we're
14:14getting the same ring so three four hundred pack it up because that will bleed now it's so tiny it's
14:20literally a lentil right pressure right we're closing okay can you put a stitch in the three
14:29lymph nodes will now be tested to see if they contain any cancer cells the results should be
14:36back in two weeks Sasha now has to finish filling the dent left by the tumor in the breast the
14:45trick
14:45here is to try and magic up a bit of tissue to fill the dents sorry I just got hit
14:53by blood we've closed
14:57the dent so that little circle is where the dent was that will all settle down to be a nice
15:03smooth
15:03filled defect thank you to everybody for today challenging case but I'm glad we took that extra time we got
15:13the
15:14lymph nodes out I was like a dog with a bay and I couldn't you know once you hear the
15:18trace you
15:19can't unhear it you know that there's more going on in there got a bit hairy a couple of moments
15:27there
15:27it's a bit bleeding didn't enjoy that very much but the operation that tends to be in the upper inner
15:33quadrant blood vessels are bigger and the pressures are higher big pressure vessels full of blood pumping
15:42well done Jess she's waking up nicely
15:55hello hello is that Dan speaking Dan hi it's Sasha um Jess's surgeon Jess is doing fine okay it's all
16:06it's all gone really well so I've called you the minute I've downed tools to let to let you know
16:12that it's all gone fine so when is she out of Sasha do you know well no we're gonna let
16:17her go this
16:18evening her own home is the safest place for her to be honest because then I know I guess you're
16:23on
16:23daddy juicy are you coping okay yeah that's enough for me now to stop I was just obviously yeah nervous
16:31about how it all went um yeah no that's great take care love bye bye bye relief always good to
16:42hear I need to
16:44text my kid won't be leaving for a little while as overrun are you okay for a bit longer
17:01oh this is telling what whatever sends you home relaxed
17:08huh from the mouths of babes
17:14hey listen it's gonna hit you now a bit of a roller coaster I haven't tried yet I know sweetheart
17:21get
17:22some tissues guys come on listen you just go with it you just go with it because there's gonna be
17:30there's gonna be high points and there's gonna be low points it's a relief yeah it's the anti-climax
17:37yeah all you need to do now is literally just eat well snuggle that baby hug that husband yeah and
17:43let everyone look after you the cancer is gone yeah okay so it's out okay onwards and upwards all right
17:52sweet up have a good rest thank you Jess will now spend a couple of hours in recovery before Dan
17:59can take her
18:15home it's absolutely joyous when you finish a list and it's gone well and I can go home happy and
18:25relax that everyone has been discharged safely to their homes and now I can just concentrate on my baby
18:33it's gone 6 p.m. and Sasha can now collect her 13 year old daughter Athene I had Athene as
18:42soon as I
18:42became a new consultant in addition to being a woman in surgery I was a woman with small child
18:49hey baby hey hey you okay I'm good so how was your day it was good um I want to
18:58hear all about it okay
18:59so four years into my surgical consultant post I suppose Athene was three nearly four I went through
19:09a difficult divorce how did it go tell me everything we had a surprise test oh we love those surprise
19:17yes Athene was in my care the vast majority of the time so I was the sole breadwinner for both
19:25of us
19:26from that moment on we've had to navigate every step of the way Athene and I both finding our feet
19:40it was hard so she is quite independent yeah happy mm-hmm have you washed your hands but she's had
19:52to grow
19:52up adulting sooner than she probably would have been ready for can you read I haven't got my glasses on
19:59is
19:59it 180 yeah she's the woman sometimes needs to look after me right so after this I'm gonna sit down
20:07I'm
20:08afraid darling and do my taxes I mean I've already got most of my work done so I think I'm
20:13just gonna
20:14shower do my hair and then you must be exhausted after all that rowing if I have time I might
20:20do a bit
20:20more but no rest properly I guess that'd be better yeah exactly I'm trying to give her as much for
20:26childhood still I hold on to it with every fiber of my being is there anything else you need for
20:31the pool
20:33Goggles
20:50Morning morning Dr. Tamar
20:53Sasha has worked at Broomfield Hospital for 17 years
20:58good morning oh that's cute yeah okay and yeah more chocolates okay right dear Sasha
21:10I found one of the worst things about cancer is being frightened and seeing my husband being
21:14frightened I'd wake up at 3am and remember the cancer with a jolt it felt like I was in capable
21:20hands from the start and that made me slightly less frightened because for the first time in the
21:25process I began to understand that the cancer can be dealt with and those charts that chemo and
21:30radiotherapy and surgery could be successful I remember you walking past my bed after the
21:38surgery and I yelled out thank you I'll remember you for the rest of my life yeah that's special
21:51today Sasha a consultant radiologist and a team of nurses are running a clinic for women
21:57concerned about their breast health
22:14women are referred to the clinic from their GP for specialist assessment so show me your lamp is it very
22:22sore painful yeah I'll be I'll be gentle okay the majority of the
22:28Go home with nothing to worry about.
22:30The thing is, is that you're in an age group now
22:33where cysts are really common.
22:35Get it checked.
22:36If you've got something that doesn't go away on its own, okay?
22:39Thank you very much for that.
22:40Well, you were very brave.
22:43What surprises people about my job as a surgeon
22:46is how little time I actually spend in an operating theatre
22:50fixing up worried, well patients with the information
22:54to empower them to look after their own health.
22:57That's an important part of my role.
23:00So, again, so hands, let's do the upper outer quadrant together.
23:04So, soapy hands in the shower.
23:05It's that kind of pressure that I used on you, okay?
23:08Soapy hands, you don't need to go crazy.
23:10Then I want you to come out of the shower,
23:12ring your little bell and go your turn, okay?
23:16Hi.
23:17Hello.
23:17Come on in.
23:18Hello, take a seat.
23:20It is the most rewarding consultation.
23:22When I see an anxious woman and show her that she's in the hands of a team
23:31that can look after her and send her out with some positivity.
23:37It all feels very normal.
23:39I can feel what you can feel, but I think there's this normal breast issue.
23:41So, Dr. Tama, what do you think about the mammogram?
23:44They look normal.
23:46Normal.
23:47We're happy.
23:48Okay, breathe.
23:51Okay, right.
23:52I'm going to leave you in peace.
23:53Get changed.
23:54We're happy.
23:55Nothing more I need to do.
23:56We've got some tissues up there if you're feeling a bit emotional.
24:08We've just got to go on straight there.
24:09Tony was diagnosed with breast cancer five weeks ago.
24:13Today, Sasha is operating on Tony to remove the two tumours
24:17and give her a modified breast reduction.
24:21It's out of my hands now.
24:23You know, I've done the bit.
24:24I'm here.
24:26She is here with husband, Neil.
24:28I'm nervous for Tony and very apprehensive,
24:32but I know that she's in good hands and breathe.
24:46Tony and Neil are grandparents and live near Braintree in Essex.
24:50He's cut it down a bit further.
24:52I know, you say that every year.
24:54Yeah, I know you don't.
24:57You know, you always think that it happens to somebody else.
25:03And there's, I mean, I am that somebody else.
25:05You know, there's no reason why I shouldn't be that somebody else.
25:08If you've got it, then you've got a fight on your hands.
25:13And you've just got a hope at the end of the day,
25:15you win the fight.
25:17You have to be positive.
25:19We've got a granddaughter we've got to keep entertained.
25:32This is so cool.
25:37I love this.
25:38It makes me feel like a proper tailor.
25:40In just a few hours, surgeon Sasha Dewar
25:43is operating on breast cancer patient Tony.
25:46What an honour to be allowed to do what I love all day long.
25:52I get to use my creative talents.
25:53I get to use my scientific mind.
25:56It's nothing more thrilling.
25:58Hey, hey.
26:00Good morning.
26:01Hello, darling.
26:02How are you?
26:02Good morning.
26:03How are you?
26:04Oh, no.
26:05Do you know what I'm going to do on you now?
26:07I'm going to draw on you.
26:08Again?
26:09I know.
26:10So we're going to draw and it's going to be weird
26:12and it's going to be a little awkward,
26:13but it's going to be ten minutes of one of us having our top off
26:17and it's not going to be me.
26:17That's me.
26:18I'm getting used to this.
26:22Sasha is going to remove two tumours,
26:24but she'll also give both of Tony's breasts a reduction at the same time.
26:32Which I'm going to mark.
26:34The correct position of your nipple.
26:37It's just funny being drawn on.
26:39She must draw on Tony's breasts
26:41to plan the cosmetic part of the operation.
26:46You know, the Vitruvian man, Leonardo da Vinci,
26:49you know, what we know from all of those studies
26:53from those early anatomists
26:54is that the perfect position of the nipple
26:58is about a third of the way up from the elbow.
27:02And look at that.
27:03We are.
27:03Yes.
27:04So many women seeing a breast surgeon in years gone by
27:08weren't given much of a choice
27:10how their tumours were removed.
27:14I look at a woman and see what she's got
27:16to start with
27:18and see if I can use her own body to help me.
27:21It's not about what we take.
27:23It's about what we leave behind.
27:27So what I'm trying to do is show myself
27:30how I'm going to create this kind of side profile.
27:32Look how lengthening it is for your waist.
27:35But basically, I need to know
27:37how much give there is in the breast.
27:39A lot.
27:42It's a big part of holistic recovery, I think,
27:45to give something to somebody that's beautiful
27:48in the context of something awful.
27:54Sasha's former trainee, Emma,
27:56has come back to assist with the surgery.
27:59I know those who are.
28:01Oh, Sasha.
28:02Hey, darling.
28:03How are you?
28:04I can't believe you came for me today.
28:05Thank you, Belvinia.
28:06No worries.
28:07It was an absolute pleasure.
28:08Yeah, let's go.
28:11There's no better assistant than somebody
28:13you've just trained up yourself
28:15that's a consultant now.
28:19Sasha will remove the two tumours,
28:22which are located high up on the chest wall,
28:25carefully avoiding damaging any blood vessels.
28:29To fill the cavity left behind,
28:31she will move tissue within the right breast,
28:35reducing it in size at the same time.
28:38The left breast will then be reduced in size
28:41and reshaped to match the right.
28:44Finally, she will ensure the nipples are repositioned
28:47in the correct place.
28:55Ready to start?
28:58Sasha carefully makes the first incision
29:01to access the breast tissue
29:03whilst preserving the nipple.
29:06So we get to save this whole quadrant of the breast.
29:11This piece of tissue can be saved
29:15and tucked up to fill this defect.
29:21Nearly there,
29:22and then I can start going for the tumours.
29:25Yes.
29:26And I'm taking away two tumours
29:28amongst the major vessels to the nipple.
29:31So I've got to think of another way
29:32of keeping this nipple alive
29:34whilst also taking those tumours out
29:37from this tiger territory.
29:40The tumours are close to major blood vessels
29:43in the chest.
29:44Cutting a few millimetres in the wrong direction
29:47could have serious consequences.
29:50Got it.
29:51Small swabs, tiny hole.
29:55Still bleeding,
29:56so stay where you are.
30:01There you go.
30:02Great.
30:04That's taught her my lesson.
30:05Yeah.
30:05That is the tumour that she can feel.
30:07That's the highest one.
30:08That's the one near,
30:10you know,
30:10in her necklace line.
30:11Lovely.
30:12We're down to muscle already.
30:14Thanks, darlings.
30:16Sasha has reached the two tumours
30:19and can begin to remove them.
30:21Right.
30:21Clips ready?
30:24Don't move.
30:25Don't let it ping.
30:26Stay where you are.
30:27Let go.
30:29Clips off.
30:31Right.
30:33Let's unfold that.
30:35The tissue containing the tumours
30:37will be analysed in a lab
30:38to ensure all the cancer
30:40has been removed.
30:44Do you want to go and start on that side?
30:46Yeah.
30:46Can do.
30:46Yeah.
30:47Sasha and Emma
30:48now move to the cosmetic part
30:50of the operation.
30:52Anu, are you OK to stretch for her?
30:55Is that all right?
30:56Starting with reducing the size
30:57of the right breast.
30:59This is already small.
31:02OK.
31:03Right lateral reduction.
31:07This here is going to form
31:09the central point of the new nipple.
31:12Yeah.
31:13I want to now think about the tissue
31:15that I'm, again, leaving behind.
31:17The skin that's going to be left behind.
31:19I want good vascularity.
31:21I want no thinning of the skin here.
31:25All the time, keeping the nipple
31:27on its blood supply,
31:29which is from the muscle behind.
31:34Sasha moves the tissue around
31:35within the right breast
31:36to feel the dent
31:38that was left by the tumours.
31:40Just got to make it come over a bit more.
31:43How much more do you think
31:43I need to liberate
31:44to get it to come over?
31:46Do you think you need to liberate much more?
31:48Shall we have a quick look?
31:53OK.
31:53Shall we do a little sit-up, please?
31:55It's a beautiful shape.
31:56It's got that nice triangular kind of shape.
31:59OK.
31:59So that's a nice nipple height,
32:01and we agreed that.
32:02The defect is filled beautifully.
32:05She's got more of a cleavage now than she did before,
32:10and we've taken our two tumours.
32:12Yeah.
32:13With the right breast finished,
32:15Sasha must reduce the left to match.
32:18I know what I need to do.
32:20OK.
32:20OK.
32:21Which is basically take away the saggy part
32:23at the bottom of the breast,
32:24and then the top part of the breast
32:26will create a mound
32:27that is equivalent in volume to that.
32:32This is a bigger breast.
32:33I'm expecting more,
32:34and I'm going to take more.
32:39Using staples,
32:41Sasha closes the left breast
32:43and checks its size.
32:46It feels too big.
32:48I know it's too big.
32:51You can feel that this is much bigger, isn't it?
32:54And it feels tight.
32:57OK.
32:58Let's take some more off from the left.
33:01And then...
33:02So it's too high,
33:03and it's too full.
33:06Despite being two and a half hours
33:08into the operation,
33:09with the breasts not looking symmetrical,
33:11Sasha decides
33:12she must reopen the breast.
33:25Sasha has removed two tumours
33:27from Tony's breasts,
33:28but she's not satisfied with their shape.
33:31I'm going to take out this fullness,
33:33this height.
33:35You can always take more out.
33:37You just can't put it back.
33:40To make them symmetrical,
33:41she's reopened the left side
33:43to take out more tissue.
33:47This is the perfect marriage
33:51of oncology
33:54and reconstruction,
33:58rebuilding something,
34:00and then pure aesthetics
34:02where you're looking to really gild the lily
34:06when something is fixed.
34:09Nipple's still pink.
34:11So, taking off little bits of tissue
34:14to get it to sit nicely
34:16whilst not compromising the blood supply to the nipple.
34:23In terms of volume match,
34:26I'm pretty happy.
34:28Beautiful.
34:29Love it.
34:30Let's get the nipples done.
34:32Taking the top layer of skin off,
34:34because now we've got to get in
34:36to free the nipple.
34:39The final stage is to ensure the nipples
34:42are in the right place
34:43and symmetrical.
34:47There we go.
34:48Delivering my nipple through.
34:53Good.
34:54That's all a bit looser.
34:58Perfect.
34:59I'm stepping away and de-scrubbing.
35:06This is a challenge
35:09from start to the end.
35:13She's waking up.
35:14Hi, Tony.
35:15Hello, sweetheart.
35:17It's me.
35:17Hello, darling.
35:20Oh, my God, it went so well.
35:21Very pleased.
35:22Are you nodding?
35:25She's nodding.
35:26I said, I'm really happy.
35:27She's like, good.
35:29Sweetheart.
35:31Sweetheart.
35:35Hello.
35:43Look at you girls.
35:44Brilliant.
35:46We're amazed.
35:47You're just amazed at the surgeon session.
35:49OK.
35:50You're doing so well.
35:55I'm super pleased.
35:58There she is.
35:59There she is.
36:00Hello.
36:02How are you?
36:03I've been worried.
36:06I'm all thinking about this for you.
36:07Good.
36:09I've got you a nice cup of tea ready.
36:12Oh, I bet that tastes good.
36:14It does.
36:14Sasha, thank you so much.
36:16Oh, yeah.
36:17It was very much appreciated.
36:19Any time.
36:20Bye-bye.
36:21Bye-bye.
36:21Bye, Sasha.
36:30My team at work.
36:32Hey.
36:33The nurses, my fellow doctors and my trainees.
36:37They're my colleagues, but they're part of my life.
36:41You know, we're like a family.
36:42Guys.
36:43My little chicas growing up and going off to rule the world.
36:48Like girl bosses that you are.
36:51Emma and Isha were trained by Sasha and are now firm friends.
36:56To become a surgeon takes years of training and it's hard training.
37:02It's important that you've got people that you can count on emotionally and professionally.
37:10Who was my first training out of the two of you?
37:12Me.
37:13I remember meeting you and then all of a sudden I hear this voice being like, hi, do you want
37:18some chocolate cake?
37:21You were like, oh, you're the new one.
37:24Oh, I hate that.
37:24Come to clinic.
37:25I'm so sorry.
37:25No, you're so nice.
37:26You're the new one here.
37:28I just felt like I was automatically just...
37:31Enveloped.
37:32Enveloped.
37:32Which was so warm.
37:34Engulfed.
37:34Engulfed.
37:35When I went into surgery right at the start, early 2000s, yeah, all of my consultants were white men.
37:44Being an Asian woman in surgery, I mean, I have known that this was going to be tricky.
37:51A tricky challenge.
37:53I think I chose general surgery because I was like, it was the hardest thing I could possibly do as
37:59a woman at that time.
38:01I was counselled against it and I thought, you know, damn this, I'm going to do it.
38:07I'm going to do this because you told me not to.
38:09And when I sat down with this guy who I held as my hero and I said, well, this is
38:13what I want to do.
38:15And his words to me were, look, darling, who's going to do the shopping?
38:21No, seriously?
38:24I think when I started as a surgical trainee, there were no female consultants as role models for me.
38:30Really?
38:30So, and I'm a firm believer in the fact that you have to see it to be it.
38:35Yeah.
38:36It's my job to inspire the next generation of women that are coming up behind me, not pull up the
38:42ladder, to make their lives easier, not harder.
38:45That's my job for women of the future.
38:48Cheers!
38:48Cheers!
38:59Two and a half weeks after the operation, Tony is back to find out the results from her surgery.
39:09It's the unknown, isn't it?
39:12You know, sort of like being lucky so far, you just think, hmm, when's it going to run out?
39:17And hope it doesn't.
39:18And hope it doesn't, yeah, exactly.
39:23All day, you know, you're sort of like just waiting and waiting and waiting.
39:27So, I mean, I've been shaking from head to foot all day and you've not done much better, have you?
39:32No.
39:33I think once we get this done, I think we'll feel a lot better, whichever way, at least we'll know
39:38what's going on.
39:45Tony Potter.
39:46Hello, Tony.
39:48How are you?
39:48I'm good, thank you.
39:49How are you?
39:49Yeah, all right, thank you.
39:51Hello.
39:53How are you, dear?
39:55Good to see you.
39:56Hi, Sasha.
39:57How are you doing, Neil?
39:57You all right?
39:58Yeah, just about.
39:58What a long week, eh?
40:01I think it's all good.
40:02Yeah.
40:02You look good.
40:03Doing quite well, actually.
40:04Moving well.
40:06Very good.
40:07Very good.
40:08Got some results for you.
40:10Success by my, in my interpretation of the word success, would be that my job as a surgeon is done.
40:18There's no more operating to be done.
40:20Now, I managed to get the invasive cancer and I'm delighted to say it's all out.
40:29Great.
40:30Doing great.
40:31I am.
40:32I am.
40:32That is singularly the most important bit of news.
40:37Right.
40:38Okay?
40:38Yeah.
40:40No more surgery.
40:41On to the next thing.
40:43I'm pleased to say you're below the radar for chemo.
40:49It's good.
40:50I knew I shouldn't have looked at you.
40:52It's good.
40:53It's good.
40:53All right.
40:56That's news.
40:57That is the best news.
41:00So, surgery's a success.
41:03Oncologically.
41:05It's out.
41:11And, no more to be done.
41:13Sorry.
41:14I'm ready to go now.
41:23Shall we have a look at you? Go on then.
41:25It's peeling off the sellotape.
41:29It's immaculate.
41:31Oh, look! Wow!
41:34It's a bit dirty.
41:35Well, I don't mind that.
41:37Do you want to have a little look before we do any of that?
41:39Is that all right for you? Not too low, not too high.
41:42Oh, wow.
41:43Look at that.
41:45All right, good. I'm very happy with her.
41:47It looks amazing. I'm so happy with her.
41:49I really am.
41:55Hello.
41:56Hey, I feel a bit freer.
41:58Oh, yeah. Liberated.
42:00Bloody air goes to you. Yeah, it's kind of like, yay!
42:03I don't feel like a plastic person anymore.
42:06I know.
42:07I think the main reason I chose breast surgery
42:10is that we've got quick results.
42:12The woman comes in with a...
42:14with a tumour.
42:14She leaves cancer-free.
42:17In many cases, cured.
42:20Well, that's a great feeling.
42:23Final bye-bye.
42:24They'll call me in if they want to show me something.
42:26Yeah, thank you.
42:27OK? All right.
42:27Bye-bye, young man. Take care.
42:29Bye.
42:29Go and celebrate. We will.
42:31OK? Sounds bubbly.
42:44Combination of bravery, ability to take risks, but also being risk-averse.
42:52An attention to detail.
42:54A good eye.
42:56Forward thinking.
42:59Circumnavigating, problem solving.
43:01These are all things that make a good surgeon.
43:05When I look back on my life, I want to know that I've been a good man.
43:08That I've done my best.
43:11That my impact on my daughter has not just been teaching her that women can do anything,
43:15but that she can do anything.
43:18I need to know that I've impacted on these women's lives,
43:23not only sorting out the cancer for a woman,
43:26but giving her the best breath she's ever had at this most awful time of her life.
43:55Neurosurgeon Omar gives patients a second chance at life.
44:00So this is the part of the tumour that's been quite beautiful, actually.
44:03Neurosurgery is miracles and disasters.
44:06Nothing in between.
44:08Doing really well.
44:10OK.
44:15Once does that happen.
44:18By forgive, if life didn't go to nothing.
44:18Do not repent, do not repent, do not repent.
44:33To repent and the trust, nothinghood happens to happen back on us.
44:34All we are lucky.
44:35Our children have one last person on the door,
44:40Which we would never be maybe if we've heard of last year or not?
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