Netflix’s docuseries The Surgeon’s Cut is a four-episode series, each episode covering a different doctor, their speciality and story. This docuseries presents a unique perspective of a surgeon, presenting them as artists when they operate and as creators when they take risks and innovate. The drive and passion that every single one of those doctors carries are immense, intense and inimitable.
Episode 1: “Saving Life Before Birth”
Professor Kypros Nicolaides is a specialist in fetal procedures. Basically, in case of any complications during pregnancy, Professor will operate on the fetus in order to save its life. In this episode, we see how Professor pioneered the endoscopic laser surgery and fetoscopic tracheal occlusion surgery. We are shown the successes, the failures and the challenges that came along the way in his life and while creating a different approach to the problem.
Episode 2: “Sacred Brain”
From harvesting to Harvard, Dr Alfredo Quinones is a neurosurgeon and chairman of neurologic surgery at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville. He was born in Mexicali, Mexico, right across the border into the USA. At the age of 19, he finally entered America as an immigrant worker. He worked during the mornings, English classes in the nights and eventually went to UC Berkeley, after which he went to Harvard Medical School.
His story was truly inspiring, from a farm worker to a neurosurgeon, he made his dreams come true. In addition to his story, the audience is also walked through a brain tumour surgery that the Doctor performed.
Episode 3: “Living Donor”
Dr Nancy Asher is the first female to perform a liver transplant and first female chair of the Department of Surgery at UCSF’s. Apart from performing operations, Dr Nancy Asher is also working with organizations to stop organ trafficking and trying to tackle the problem of lack of donors.
She is most known for her live liver transplants, where a live person is operated on for a piece of their liver, which is then immediately put in the other patient. This type of operation is rare and highly demanding. In this episode of The Surgeon’s Cut, a similar is presented and performed upon.
Episode 4: “Heart and Soul”
Dr Devi Shetty is a cardiac surgeon and founder of one of the largest medical centres in the world, Narayana Health in India. Dr Shetty treated Mother Teresa in her last years and this experience changed his perspective towards life. His goal is to make cardiac assistance accessible to everyone in the world. He provides the lowest prices and sometimes covers the costs himself when the patient cannot afford surgery, especially in the rural parts of India.
In this episode of The Surgeon’s Cut, we see two operations conducted, one on an infant and the other on an adult. Both those operations took my breath away and had me sitting on the edge of my seat.
Stream It Or Skip It!
Stream it! The Surgeon’s Cut is a must-watch. Each episode is unique in its own way, it’s absolutely fascinating to see the doctors as artists as they create their art in the operation theatre.
Disclaimer: the show is extremely graphic, so just be prepared. Don’t be like me and watch it while eating food.
The Surgeon’s Cut is streaming on Netflix.
Read our other reviews here.