Bendy Cool Cartilage Operation Ouch! Hospital Takeover

He's Dr Chris.

And he's Dr Xand.

-And we're... BOTH:

-Identical twins.

Or we were until you grew your beard.

In this series, we're taking over

one of the biggest children's hospitals in Europe -

the amazing Alder Hey in Liverpool.

We'll go head-to-head

as we take on some of our hospital's most important jobs.

This isn't going well.

Ouch And About hits the wards for more medical mysteries.

-That is a hole going inside your stomach.

-Yes.

WHISTLE BLOWS

And we'll be meeting our brilliant Ouch Patients

who come in for regular treatment.

Hi!

We've hidden our lab in a top-secret location,

-and our experiments just...

-XAND SCREAMS

-..got...

-HE BELCHES

..bigger!

Ah!

You guys are crazy!

So, are you ready to join us?

It's going to be out of this world!

-Take us down.

-BOTH:

-Back to earth!

Coming up today on...

Has it started?

..Operation Ouch.

We push it to the limit...

I've lost my shoe completely.

..meet Ouch Patient Holly...

-Hi!

-..and find out how crucial your cartilage is.

How did I do?

But first...

Medical teams always expect unexpected cases.

And this one is a real jaw dropper.

In Alder Hey's Accident and Emergency,

the doctors have had a call from Control

saying the air ambulance is on its way.

Onboard is 15-year-old Joanna,

who's been involved in a road traffic collision.

Joanna had just finished school for the day, yippee!

She couldn't wait to get home.

Was she going by speedboat, or aeroplane?

Or by rocket?

Xand, she was going to get the bus.

Oh, right. OK.

Anyway, Joanna went to cross the road.

She looked left and right.

Well, it's always important to cross the road safely.

Joanna thought the road was clear and walked across,

when all of a sudden a moped came along and knocked her over.

-CHRIS AND XAND:

-Ouch!

'Joanna looks OK,

'but when an emergency like this happens,

'a specialist unit called the trauma team spring into action.'

She was awake and alert, responding as normal when we got there.

Sat up on the road but hadn't got off the road.

'The team is made up of doctors and nurses

'as well as surgery and X-ray specialists.'

Is that sore on this side? Sore in the middle?

'Doctor Shirley Mulvaney is one of the doctors on duty.

'She immediately begins to check Joanna

'for life-threatening injuries.'

'Doctor Shirley starts with an ABC check.

'That's...'

'The good news is, Joanna isn't in serious danger,

'so now the doctor moves on

'to check which parts of her body are in pain.'

-Does it hurt on this side?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Does it hurt even when I press you here?

-Yeah, a bit.

She was complaining of pain on the left side of her body mainly.

One thing that we also look at is the spine,

because we need to make sure that essentially everything's OK

from the bone point of view, that there is no cracks. Is that sore?

Yes.

-She's very sore all along the midline.

-Yeah.

-OK.

'Even though Joanna's back is painful,

'the doctors don't think there's a serious spinal injury.'

'But to be sure there aren't any other broken bones,

'she's sent off to X-ray.'

'We'll catch up with her later to see the results.'

'In hospital, it's not just the doctors and nurses

'who help you to get fixed.

'There are lots of other heroes working behind the scenes.'

-Yes!

-'What will happen when we have a go at their amazing jobs?'

Welcome to The Doctor Chris Show.

-BOTH:

-Useless!

This is Operation Takeover.

Today's hospital heroes are porters Robbie and Robbie.

The two Robbies are part of whole squad of people

who keep everything in the hospital moving,

from the patients themselves to vital medical equipment.

-Right. So guys, we're going to spend the day as porters with you.

-Yeah.

What's the number one thing we mustn't get wrong today?

We mustn't fall asleep on the job.

-Xand!

-Ah!

What? Oh!

Sorry, Robbie. Sorry, Robbie.

-Next time, you're sacked.

-Yeah.

Apart from not falling asleep on the job,

what's the most important thing about being a porter?

Making the patients feel as confident as possible.

Everyone's nervous going to hospital.

I think we help to put the kids at ease, and the parents at ease.

We'll talk to them, entertain them,

and then ask them what they want for the first meal when they wake up.

-Do they want snot on toast?

-CHRIS LAUGHS

I love snot on toast!

It's snot funny for long, Xand.

The Robbies want to see if we're up to the job.

-OK, I'm ready. I'm ready.

-Three, two, one, forward.

Oh, you said forwards!

OK, all right. But walk backwards, then.

-OK, you ready?

-Three, two, one, go.

-They're not going to get a job.

-Useless.

-BOTH: Useless!

'Hmm, we do need some practice.

'It's vital for porters to know the hospital inside out.

'And with a combined 32 years of experience,

'these two reckon they could do their job with their eyes shut.'

'Well, let's put it to the test!'

So the question is, does Robbie know his way around this hospital

blindfolded with earplugs in?

'There's no way he'll know what ward we've taken him to!'

Chris, we're going to...

So before we take off the blindfold, tell us where you think you are.

Judging by the doors that had to be opened, I'd say 4C.

-Wow!

-That is pretty good, actually.

'The Robbies make that look easy.'

'But it's not just knowing your way around the hospital,

'it's about looking after the patients.'

'Nine-year-old Megan has been in and out of hospitals

'since she was three and a half,

'so she knows a good porter when she sees one.'

So you've just come down from upstairs.

What was your experience with the porters?

Cos you're the real porter expert.

-Really good.

-We're about to have our portering exam.

So what do you think...

What would be, like, three bits of advice you'd give us

about being the best porters we can be?

Make sure you know where you're going,

don't crash into anything,

and entertain the person.

'Great advice, Megan. We definitely need it!

'It's time for us to take over as hospital porters.'

'I can't believe I've got to wear blue!'

We're about to find out who's better at portering.

And I have to say, I'm ready to put this issue to bed once and for all!

I mean, if you think you're going to win, you're off your trolley!

Our challenge is to go from this examination room to theatre one

in the quickest time possible.

It normally takes us a maximum four minutes.

I think this sounds relatively straightforward.

-Where is theatre one?

-I've got no idea.

-It's all right.

There'll be a sign. We'll figure it out.

It must be around here somewhere.

Right, Chris, you're up first.

Go, go, go, go!

Come on! Come on, Chris!

'Ah, forgotten something?'

The what? Oh, the brakes.

'Come on, clever clogs,'

-'aren't you worried your patient is going to fall out of bed?'

-Oh!

The danger.

So, right.

So the first thing is, I want to engage in some friendly banter.

'You? Banter?'

Um... Er...

-This isn't going well.

-'Didn't think so!'

While I go one way, Xand's gone the other.

All right, theatres, theatres, theatres.

Yeah, he's going the wrong way for a start.

'Already lost, Xand?'

There's nothing on the sign! Ah!

'Time for some patient entertainment.'

-Knock, knock.

-Who's there?

Europe.

Europe who?

-No, you're a poo!

-Oh!

'Embarrassing, Chris.'

Well, yeah, but at least I've not gone to the basement.

Oh, no!

There's no-one here!

-I'm miles away.

-So now what are we going to do?

-I'm feeling a bit dizzy.

-OK.

OK, I've just got to get it under control.

He seems to be going all over the place.

I've lost my shoe completely!

What am I doing? Come on.

Looks like we're finally getting close.

Or at least, I am.

'Oh, this is like an obstacle course! Oops.

-'But I'm on the home stretch.'

-Oh! Ouch! Ouch!

'Hot on your heels, Chris!'

-Ah!

-Sorry about that.

Hello! Here we are.

Ta-da!

'I've definitely won this.

'I don't think so.'

Victory is mine.

'There's only one way to settle it.'

One of you was four and a half minutes faster than the other one.

And the winner is...

-..Doctor Chris!

-Yes!

Nine minutes, 28 seconds - in your face!

Whatever.

It takes us on average four minutes from the ward to theatre.

Not very good.

Well, Xand, it's pretty clear to me

that porters like Robbie and Robbie are essential

to the running of this hospital.

And we have not covered ourselves in glory.

-I think we should hand the bed back.

-Thank you.

-And who should we send the bill to for the damage?

-Doctor Xand.

I've forgotten my wallet. Let's go!

ROBBIE AND ROBBIE LAUGH

Meet Ruby, Haiden, Holly and Tola.

We're following them across the series

as they let us know what it's like to be a regular hospital outpatient.

They've given us exclusive access to their lives

as they undergo treatment.

Let's meet our Ouch Patient Holly.

Hello, Holly!

Hi, everyone! So I'm going to give you a little tour of my house.

So firstly, here is my little brother Michael.

Ooh, nice Hulk outfit!

Hey, don't leave me in here!

Nine-year-old Holly has cerebral palsy,

a condition which impacts muscle control and movement.

In my case, it affects all four of my limbs,

but it affects my legs a lot more than it does my arms.

With cerebral palsy,

the brain doesn't communicate properly with the body's muscles.

It's like if you're in, like, a cafe and the Wi-Fi's down,

you can't send a text message to someone.

This is the table that me and my brother get washed at in the morning

instead of me having to stand at the sink and get washed.

Cerebral palsy does have quite a big impact on my day-to-day life.

From appearance, it looks like it's, like, really painful,

and it's really hard,

but it's really not.

You've just got to go with the flow

and kind of get on with it, you know?

This is our accessible shower room.

There I have my shower chair, which I sit in to have a shower

because, obviously, I can't stand up while I'm having a shower.

I really like it, because I get to do it myself.

I have to go to physio with Rosemary in school every one to two weeks.

Holly has regular physio treatment,

not just at school, but also at hospital and at home.

You ready?

-Ta-da!

-Ta-da!

Find out how I get on next time. Bye!

Back in Accident and Emergency,

Joanna is waiting for news of her X-ray.

Let's find out how she's getting on!

Earlier, 15-year-old Joanna was rushed to hospital

in an air ambulance.

Joanna was walking across the road when all of a sudden,

a moped came along and knocked her over!

Joanna was in a lot of pain,

and was sent down to X-ray to see if she'd broken any bones.

Doctor Shirley Mulvaney takes a look.

So this is the X-ray of what we call the femur,

which is the big bone of the leg.

So as you can see, it's nice and smooth,

there's no breaks in the bone.

So this is the pelvis -

seeing that all the lines are nice and smooth.

The last X-ray we did was a chest X-ray.

And we have a very good look at the ribs cos her chest was so sore.

And you can see they're all nice and smooth,

there's no cracks in any of them.

You can also see her spine here, and if you look at the bones,

they all look OK.

And everything's absolutely fine.

Well, that's great news for Joanna.

With all serious injuries ruled out,

Doctor Shirley works through every part of Joanna's body

to make sure there are no outstanding injuries.

Fantastic. So you've got the all-clear from everything else, OK?

Everything looks fine.

You're still going to be a bit sore in this leg.

So, it's what we call a contusion,

and that means that the muscle's bruised.

So we'll give you some Calpol and some Nurofen, OK?

And then if you're OK in a couple of hours, we'll send you home.

-OK?

-'So, nearly home time.'

-'How are you feeling, Joanna?'

I feel a bit tired because they gave me some paracetamol

to not feel the pain.

'Well, with plenty of rest, we hope you'll be back to 100% soon.'

-CHRIS AND XAND:

-'Bye!'

'Still to come -

'we find out what makes you flexible...'

I think you can let go now.

'..say hello to Ouch Patient Haiden...'

Good boy!

'..and Chris meets a canine carer...'

-Thank you, Nala.

-'..but first...'

It's what helps you move.

And now to our lab.

But this time, we've hidden it in a top-secret location.

So secret that even Xand doesn't know where it is.

Wow!

It's time for some amazing experiments.

Just don't try any thing you see here at home.

Today, we're investigating the grisly stuff in your joints.

Chris, what are you doing?

I'm measuring how tall you are.

But I can tell you exactly how tall I am!

I'm six foot, or 183 centimetres exactly.

-Well, you might have shrunk.

-Shrunk? I've not shrunk!

Well, you could be wrong there.

We can all shrink a little bit each day

due to the stuff in between our bones

called cartilage.

The cartilage discs in between the bones of your spine get pressed down

as you stand up all day.

So you might end up a centimetre shorter at the end of the day

than when you woke up in the morning.

Don't worry, though, because at night when you're asleep,

the discs in your spine expand again, and you grow.

Well, that is a relief!

You can actually try this at home.

Try measuring yourself first thing in the morning

and last thing at night,

and let us know how you get on.

You have around 360 joints,

and there's cartilage in most of them.

What does it actually do?

Well, take a look at this.

What I've got here is a real knee joint from a pig,

and it looks a lot like a human knee joint.

Come closer, and get a really good look.

This is what cartilage looks like.

It's packed on the surfaces of the joint,

and it acts a bit like a lubricant.

It keeps the bones moving smoothly.

'Without this super slippy cartilage,

'it would be a lot harder for your joints to move freely.'

So with the help of cartilage,

we can move our knees and hips and other joints as freely as we like.

But cartilage isn't just in your joints.

It's also what gives your nose and ears shape, and makes them rubbery.

I think you can let go now.

Now, even though you can bend cartilage without breaking it,

you can still damage it.

And you can even kill it if the blood supply's cut off.

It would be good to be able to show this somehow, wouldn't it?

What we need for that is a prop.

Where are we going to get a prop? Prop, prop, prop.

-What about in the cupboard?

-Of Everything?

-Yes, the Cupboard Of Everything.

-Oh, yeah!

Got one! This is Alex Corbisiero, England rugby prop,

that's the position he plays, get it?

Well, it's very good that you're here, Alex,

because I think you have an interesting thing

about the cartilage in your ears.

Yes. I have something they call cauliflower ear,

which comes from playing rugby,

specifically around the scrum,

where the big guys get down and they push really hard against each other,

and that causes rubbing and crushing on the ear.

Gradually they get a bit thicker and thicker

and start to look like a cauliflower,

and that's why we call it cauliflower ear.

If we compare Xand's ear to Alex's,

we can see that Xand's is thin and hollow,

but Alex's ear is a different shape, and has a big thick bit.

And that's where the membrane that covers his cartilage,

that supplies it with blood and nutrients,

has been rubbed off in the scrum.

The cartilage underneath it died,

and got replaced by thick, fibrous scar tissue.

You don't need to worry if you play rugby.

Cauliflower ear can be prevented by...

I probably should have done that, but I'm happy with my ears still,

and my mum still thinks I'm pretty!

Exactly, Mrs Corbisiero, and so do we.

Now, um... Listen, this is a bit awkward

cos we're actually done with Alex now, but I don't...

I don't know how to politely ask him to leave.

-You know what rugby players like?

-Oh, yeah.

Rugby balls.

Alex!

Well, that did the trick!

So, we've seen damaged cartilage

and we've seen healthy cartilage inside our body,

which acts like a lubricant, helping our joints move smoothly.

But what would happen to our bodies

if we didn't have any cartilage at all?

Well, get ready to find out, Xand,

because you and I are competing in the Cartilage Lab Olympics.

I will be playing for...

And I will be playing for...

Wait, who am I playing for?

You will be playing for...

-So, Xand, you're going to be wearing a very special outfit.

-Am I?

You are going to be wearing a suit of armour.

This armour will restrict Xand's movement,

and make him really stiff,

which is what it would be like to have no cartilage.

Well, at least it's the best I could do.

Event number one.

-Let battle commence!

-Battle commence!

The cartilage between the vertebrae in my spine

allows it to be super bendy,

resulting in this fine limbo action.

Well, you would say that!

Whatever. Can you compete?

No. Xand's armour is forcing his joints to be stiff,

just like they would be if he had no cartilage.

So he's uncomfortable and clunky.

-What a donkey!

-DONKEY BRAYS

Just look at my freely moving limbs.

It's a speedy slam dunk.

You are such a show off!

Right, move over. My go.

I've got this! If I can just...

-XAND GROANS

-Xand is slow and stiff as a board.

With no cartilage, he can't even bend his knees,

and he struggles to get the ball.

Off with his head, I say!

How'd I do?

It was a close run thing, Xand.

But the final score was 2-0 to me.

So, we've shown you that you have cartilage all over your body,

and you can feel it in your nose and ears.

And we've shown you that without cartilage,

your body would be slow, uncomfortable and stiff.

Right, Chris. That was fun, but this is no time for games.

There are damsels in distress and I must hurry to rescue them!

Let's meet Ouch Patient Haiden.

Buster, give me a high five.

Good boy!

I've got Marfan syndrome.

Marfan syndrome can affect many parts of your body.

Go get it, Bust.

In Haiden's case, it's his heart.

If I run up them stairs really fast,

it'll make my heart beat really fast.

Marfan syndrome runs in the family.

Haiden's mum and brother have it, but Buster doesn't.

Haiden needs an operation to fix the main artery in his heart, the aorta.

His mum and brother have had the same surgery,

and it really helped them.

My mum, she said that I'm going to be joining the zipper club.

-The zipper club?

-And that's where you have a scar right down you.

-Ah, I see!

-So now it Haiden's turn.

He's getting ready to go into hospital for his own heart surgery.

I am packing all my clothes and all my games.

I'm feeling very happy that I'm having the operation

cos I will be able to run as much as I want now.

It's time to say bye-bye to the family,

not forgetting his furry friend, Buster.

Haiden's off to spend the night in hospital before his big day.

I'll see you tomorrow, night-night!

Night, Haiden!

Find out next time how Haiden gets on.

Your body is amazing, but sometimes it needs fixing.

All over UK, there are special teams of professionals

trained to tackle medical mysteries,

and some you might not expect.

All hospitals try and reduce stress,

but this particular hospital calls on the services

of a very special expert to do that -

someone with lots of blonde hair, bad breath, and a wet nose.

Meet golden retriever Nala.

She's worked as a pet therapy dog for 14 years,

and is known at this hospital as Dr Dog.

-# Snoop Doggy Dogg. #

-DOG BARKS

Animal therapy dogs like Nala need to be calm, obedient,

and really intelligent.

Not any old mutt can make the cut.

Two of Nala's biggest fans are Spike and his sister Poppy.

Spike has been in and out of hospital for most of his life.

He and Nala have become good friends.

What's your favourite bit of Nala to stroke?

-I've got two.

-Go for it.

Her ears, and her tummy.

And her tummy? How does it make you feel when you see Nala?

Happy.

And Poppy, how do you feel? Cos you come into hospital a lot

to see your younger brother.

Yeah, I think Nala helps you relax.

-Nala, do you feel happy when you see Spike?

-'Yes.'

Nala makes new friends every day.

Harvey has just popped in for a checkup.

While you've been with Nala,

have you been agonising about your appointment?

I've just been thinking about the dog, really.

Dogs, they're, like, really cuddly,

and they just look really cute.

Once you've petted her, we ask everyone to spray their hands.

Nala has a bottle of germ-busting gel attached to her collar.

Do you know why that's important?

You might get germs if you put your hand in your mouth,

so you've got to wash your hands.

That is exactly right.

There's no doubt that this professional pooch

can put a smile on your face,

but can Nala really have a physical effect on a patient's health?

Well, let's put Dr Dog to the test!

To help me, here's Miracle,

who's in hospital having kidney dialysis treatment.

Can you explain to me how it all works?

The machine can clean my blood.

So, the machine is taking the place of your kidneys?

-Is that right?

-Mm-hm.

So, what I want to do is while you're having your dialysis,

I want to measure your blood pressure.

And then we're going to bring in Nala the dog

-and we're going to see what happens to your blood pressure.

-Mm-hm.

A blood pressure test is a simple way to check

if a patient is stressed.

Being stressed out can lead to high blood pressure,

which means that your heart is under extra strain.

So, Miracle, at the moment, your blood pressure is 116/67.

Those numbers mean Miracle's blood pressure is already within

the normal range,

but let's see if Nala can make Miracle even more relaxed.

After a few minutes of stroking our happy hound,

we take Miracle's blood pressure again.

So, Miracle, your blood pressure has gone from 116/67 to 105/59.

So, although it's still within the normal range,

her blood pressure has gone down,

meaning Miracle is more relaxed,

and less stressed.

The science is clear -

not only does Nala make people smile,

she also physically improves a patient's health.

For me, that is totally amazing,

that we can bring an animal in

and just through affecting Miracle's mood,

we can have a really big effect.

Now, stress over a long time can be bad for your body,

but dogs like Nala are amazing at relieving it,

so every single person she's met today, including me,

has had a little boost.

I feel very relaxed. Thank you, Nala!

In Accident and Emergency, doctors and nurses need to act fast.

Fast?! I can act fast!

Especially when strange things like this happen.

Waiting in the emergency department is 13-year-old Liam and his dad.

'And what's that?'

-A spring in me thumb.

-'What happened?!'

Liam was working hard at school doing an exam.

Ooh! What was the exam?

Shh!

Shh, Xand. It was history.

-Oh, OK.

-Anyway, Liam had just finished the last question,

when he spotted a pencil with a spring wrapped around the top.

Weird! Where was it from? So interesting!

Shh!

Xand, that's not the point.

As he started to unravel the spring, it got caught on his thumb.

Liam couldn't yelp because he has to keep quiet,

and so the spring went further and further,

until it was totally wedged in.

-CHRIS AND XAND: Ouch!

-Shh!

Sorry!

'Liam's thumb is starting to throb.'

I can feel the spring moving inside my skin.

'And it's stopping him doing very important things.'

I can't open me phone, because you need to fingerprint it,

and my fingerprint finger is the one with the spring in.

'He hasn't been able to speak to his mates for hours.

'This is a text-mergency!

'Doctor!'

It's Dr Sian Beasley to the rescue.

Dr Sian checks his hand can move properly.

-Is that moving OK?

-Yeah.

-Down and up? Back and round? Good.

'All looks OK, but he still can't text, Dr Sian. What's the plan?'

We're going to give him some gas and air,

and then me and a senior colleague will just try and remove that gently

from his thumb.

'Pulling out the spring is going to hurt,

'so Liam needs some help with the pain.

'Gas and air is a mixture of nitrous oxide and oxygen.'

'As you breathe it in, the gas numbs the pain receptors in your brain,

'making things hurt less.

'And it can make you giggle, too, so it's also called laughing gas.

'Ready to spring into action is Dr Daniel Murray.

'He's got the gas, and a nice tash.'

This goes in the mouth, OK?

Deep breaths in and out.

And out.

And keep going.

-How are you feeling?

-LIAM LAUGHS

-There we go.

-'LOL, it's working!'

'Even Dr Sian's bad jokes are getting a giggle.'

What did the cheese say to the other cheese?

'I don't know, what did the cheese say to the other cheese?'

-Halloumi.

-'Hello me?!'

-HE GIGGLES

'Halloumi! Ha!

'And finally that sneaky spring's history.'

-Perfect!

-Well done.

-It looks really good.

I couldn't feel any sign of anything being left behind,

-so it will be just fine.

-'Any lessons to take back to school?'

The lesson I've learned - not to unravel springs.

'Good lad. That's one top texting thumb back in action.'

'Phew!'

Next time on Operation Ouch, Hospital Takeover.

'Find out why we're making a big...'

Aah! '..bang!'

'We get revved up by race car technology.'

That is amazing.

'And we have a go at this.'

Ambulance. Tell me exactly what happened.

So, we'll see you next time for more Operation Ouch!

What? Is it over?!

I was really enjoying that.

How did I do?

How did I do?

How do I do that?

Next up is an event called hurdlimbo.

-Are you all right?

-HE LAUGHS