Also known as: Degenerative bone disease of the neck
Tyler has severe cervical spondylosis worsened by a car accident two years prior. He undergoes a complex 3-day, 3-part neck reconstruction surgery involving hardware removal, scar tissue excision, and cage implantation using cobalt rods and cross connectors instead of a standard fusion.
Also known as: GBM, terminal brain cancer
Mary has a grade IV astrocytoma (butterfly tumor) extending into both sides of her brain, initially deemed inoperable with only 6 months to live. Derek successfully removes the entire tumor in a high-risk surgery after discovering the tumor has unusually smooth, defined edges that make it resectable.
Also known as: Aortic stenosis
Chuck, a 71-year-old man, presents after a syncopal episode with a narrowed aortic valve requiring replacement. He refuses open-heart surgery due to scarring concerns and demands a TAVI (transcatheter aortic valve implantation) procedure instead, eventually getting another surgeon to perform it.
Also known as: High blood sugar
Approximately 20% of the mice in Bailey's diabetes clinical trial develop hyperglycemia again, suggesting possible islet cell rejection or dysfunction with the implanted device. Meredith and Alex work to determine the cause by comparing healthy and hyperglycemic mice.