Today, astonishing surgical breakthroughs are making face transplants, limb transplants and a host of other cutting edge operations possible.

But getting to this point has been an extraordinary story of bravery and mistakes - stolen corpses, crazy remedies, medical fraud, lobotomised patients - and every now and then, brave and extraordinary advances that have saved millions of lives across the world. Presented by the charismatic and medically trained Michael Mosley, Blood and Guts: A History of Surgery introduces audiences to the breathtaking, heroic and at times comically entertaining story of how surgeons came to successfully save millions of lives worldwide. With a huge range of locations from the US to France, Germany and Italy, it shows us the latest surgical techniques, giving a greater understanding of the body, and revealing how science progressed through catastrophes as well as successes in the courageous pursuit of knowledge.

PRODUCTION INFORMATION
Presenter Michael Mosley (History of Science, Pleasure and Pain)

Producer Claudia Lewis; Executive Producer Kim Shillinglaw (Human Journey, The Making of Me)

DURATION
5 x 50'