Also known as: Hole in the heart with lung damage
A young patient presents with a congenital heart defect that should have been repaired in infancy but has now progressed to irreversible pulmonary hypertension. The team determines surgery would be fatal at this stage and must turn her away, creating emotional conflict about patient selection.
Also known as: Jaw tumor
A 13-year-old baseball fan has a large tumor extending from his jaw up near the skull base and orbital floor. Dr. Lim advocates for him despite the high-risk surgery, noting he's malnourished and won't survive to age 14 without intervention. He becomes a central case in the patient selection debate.
Also known as: Liver tumor
A patient has a benign but potentially cancerous liver tumor that appears operable, but is ultimately rejected for surgery due to damaged heart valves from previous rheumatic fever making the procedure too risky.
Also known as: Heart damage from rheumatic fever
The patient's heart valves were damaged by rheumatic fever the previous year, making him ineligible for liver tumor surgery due to the surgical risk. This creates a heartbreaking situation where the team must turn him away.
Also known as: Nerve and artery compression in neck
A patient initially presenting with chest pain and arm symptoms is diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome where ribs compress nerves and arteries. He later suffers a life-threatening complication when a clot travels through a heart defect to his brain, requiring emergency treatment with snake venom derivative.
Also known as: Blood clot in the brain
Miguel crashes with a clot that traveled from his arm through an undiagnosed heart defect to his brainstem, affecting his respiratory center. Shaun diagnoses it and they treat him with a snake venom derivative instead of TPA.
Also known as: Gallstones
A mother who has been hiding her severe gallstone symptoms to keep working and care for her daughter. Her condition causes pain, vomiting, and fever with risk of life-threatening infection. She becomes the final surgical case selected, chosen over the boy with ameloblastoma in a difficult ethical decision.
Also known as: Belly button hernia
A 42-year-old man who is the sole provider for his siblings has a large non-reducible umbilical hernia at high risk for strangulation. The case is discussed during patient selection as a fast, simple procedure with excellent prognosis.
Also known as: Baby not descending during labor
During an emergency roadside delivery, Dr. Lim and Mateo manage a woman in obstructed labor for 12 hours. The baby is stuck with its arm by its face (thumb-sucking), causing fetal distress. They successfully deliver the baby by pinching its finger to move the arm.
Also known as: Chest cancer
Shaun mentions he will be removing an adenocarcinoma from a young woman's mediastinum, noting the dangerous vasculature in that area. This case is referenced but not shown in detail.
Also known as: Bereavement
Lea is struggling with profound grief after losing her baby, experiencing waves of sadness triggered by reminders. She confesses to Shaun that even his blue eyes hurt because she dreamed their daughter would have them. She decides to go to Hershey to stay with her parents for time away.