A Fighting Chance

Series following the surgeons of the Oxford Craniofacial Unit and the children, often with rare syndromes, they treat. The work can be risky but it transforms lives. Coral, aged one, has a rare genetic condition which distorts her skull and threatens to squeeze her brain. She needs an operation but surgery could also cause brain damage. Ivy is five; she was born with much of her skull missing, leaving her brain totally exposed. Her future care is a huge dilemma for her parents: should they opt for a major operation to build a new skull for her?; or should they just wait and see? Tiny baby Daire's skull is grossly mis-shapen but surgery carries a very high risk. This is a film about the risks of extreme surgery and how to decide when, and if, to operate.