On 25th May and 27th May Spire Cambridge Lea’s top consultant surgeons carried out life-changing operations in front of a studio audience, live on Channel 4.
Mr Francis Wells MS, MA, BSc(Hons), FRCS, MB, BS Cardiothoracic Consultant
Mr Richard Hardwick MBBS, MD, FRCS Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeon
On Monday 25th May, Mr Francis Wells was accompanied by a team of nine other highly specialised individuals at Papworth Hospital and carried out Open Heart Surgery live on the Channel 4 programme The Operation: Surgery Live. Mr Wells is one of the UK's leading experts on Cardiothoracic Surgery, he also has the largest practice in Mitral Valve Reconstruction in the country and one of the largest in Europe with over 2,500 valves repaired and reconstructed. Mr Wells has been practising at the Spire Cambridge Lea hospital for 25 years. Mr Wells was assisted in the main studio by Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon Samir Nashef, who talked the audience through the procedure.
Click here to visit the Surgery Live website for Mr Francis Wells
On Wednesday 27th May, Mr Richard Hardwick was joined by a specialised team and carried out Keyhole Stomach Repair on The Operation: Surgery Live on Channel 4. Mr Hardwick is a gastro-intestinal surgeon with a major interest in gastric (stomach) conditions and laparoscopic (key hole) surgery. He has been practicing at the Spire Cambridge Lea hospital for 8 years. Mr Hardwick was assisted in the main studio by Consultant Gastrointestinal Surgeon Mr Simon Dwerryhouse, who talked the audience through the procedure.
Click here to visit the Surgery Live website for Mr Richard Hardwick
Both procedures were performed live in front of a studio audience at Papworth Hospital and Cambridge University NHS Trust Addenbrookes hospital, however both are available for private patients at Spire Cambridge Lea hospital .