0:00:23 > 0:00:25He's Dr Chris.
0:00:27 > 0:00:28And he's Dr Xand.
0:00:28 > 0:00:30Yep, we're twins.
0:00:30 > 0:00:34Do you know just how brilliant your body really is?
0:00:34 > 0:00:36Well, now is the time to find out.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39We'll be uncovering the ins and outs of what you're made of.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41I've got a big hole in my head.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46We'll be doing awesome experiments.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49- HIGH VOICE: You sound ridiculous! DEEP VOICE:- I don't, squeaky.
0:00:49 > 0:00:51HE LAUGHS
0:00:51 > 0:00:53As we push our own bodies to the limits...
0:00:53 > 0:00:55OK, here we go!
0:00:55 > 0:00:56HE GROANS
0:00:56 > 0:01:01..to show you all the incredible things your body can do.
0:01:01 > 0:01:02Oh, no!
0:01:04 > 0:01:06Hang around because this is going to be fun.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08HE SCREAMS
0:01:08 > 0:01:13- BOTH: - Coming up today on Operation Ouch...
0:01:13 > 0:01:17Rachel and Tadhg are rushed to Accident and Emergency.
0:01:17 > 0:01:21Chris lets a bloodsucking leech feast off his arm.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24We find out who has the biggest tonsils.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29And I join paramedics on the front line of emergency medicine.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33We have got to figure out why he fell, does he have an infection?
0:01:33 > 0:01:34Is his blood sugar low?
0:01:38 > 0:01:39We're giving you exclusive access
0:01:39 > 0:01:41to an accident and emergency department.
0:01:41 > 0:01:43Let's meet our first patient.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48At Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool, 14 year old Rachel is in
0:01:48 > 0:01:52Accident and Emergency and she simply can't shut her mouth.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55- That's a bit rude!- No, really, she can't shut her mouth.
0:01:55 > 0:01:59- What's happened to Rachel?- I think I've dislocated my jaw.- 'Oh, I see.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02'She's dislocated her jaw.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05'I'm sure there's a perfectly ordinary explanation.'
0:02:05 > 0:02:08- I was biting the sofa... - Biting a what?!
0:02:08 > 0:02:13- 'For one minute I thought she said she was biting the sofa!- She did.'
0:02:13 > 0:02:16- I was biting the sofa.- 'See?'
0:02:16 > 0:02:18She was just messing around.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21'Just a minute, how on earth did this happen?'
0:02:21 > 0:02:25Well, Rachel was at home lying on her sofa. Bored.
0:02:25 > 0:02:29There was nothing on the telly, nothing interesting to read
0:02:29 > 0:02:31and nothing much to do. Or was there?
0:02:31 > 0:02:34Hang on, she's turned into a shark?
0:02:34 > 0:02:37That's because she circled the sofa like a shark circling its prey.
0:02:37 > 0:02:41- On the hunt for something to amuse herself.- Oh, right.
0:02:41 > 0:02:43Suddenly she had an idea.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45Would her mouth fit around the edge of the sofa?
0:02:45 > 0:02:47There was only one way to find out -
0:02:47 > 0:02:50she opened her mouth wide and bit the sofa.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53- But her jaw was completely stuck. - Ouch.
0:02:53 > 0:02:58I sound a lot different. It's harder to speak.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01- 'Harder to what?- Speak.- Right.'
0:03:02 > 0:03:06I can't say my S-es. I can't say S-es properly.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09'Well, you do something silly once and then you learn from it.'
0:03:09 > 0:03:12I can't believe she has done it again.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15- 'You mean she's done it before?' - It's only happened twice!
0:03:15 > 0:03:20'Seriously, Rachel, you've got to stop eating the furniture.'
0:03:21 > 0:03:23Enter, Dr Shrouk Messahel,
0:03:23 > 0:03:25she'll be tackling Rachel's big mouth.
0:03:25 > 0:03:27- 'Steady.'- Where's it hurting?
0:03:27 > 0:03:31- Just point, you don't need to talk.- The sides.- Both sides?
0:03:31 > 0:03:32And there.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35We'll give you some medicine, a really strong painkiller.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38And then I'm going to put some gloves on
0:03:38 > 0:03:40- and see if I can get it back into place.- OK.- OK?
0:03:40 > 0:03:43'So what's going on inside Rachel's jaw?'
0:03:44 > 0:03:48Well, inside your head are 20 bones that make up your skull.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50Two of them are in your jaw.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53There's the mandible which is one of the strongest bones in your body,
0:03:53 > 0:03:54and the maxilla.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56They're linked together by a hinge
0:03:56 > 0:03:59which allows you to open and close your mouth.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03And Rachel's hinge has become...unhinged.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07Before Dr Shrouk can get to work,
0:04:07 > 0:04:09she needs Rachel's muscles to be relaxed.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12So Sister Tammy gives her a strong painkiller up her nose.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15Well, she can't exactly swallow it, can she?
0:04:15 > 0:04:19What I am going to try and do is hold on to her jaw,
0:04:19 > 0:04:22and push it back in there so it goes back into place.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25We'd best leave that painkiller to get to work, then.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27We'll be back later to see how Dr Shrouk
0:04:27 > 0:04:29gets to grips with Rachel's jaw.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37This is our lab where we are going to push our own bodies
0:04:37 > 0:04:41to the limit to show YOU how your body works.
0:04:41 > 0:04:42Ow, that really hurt.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45Just don't try anything you see here at home.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47Today it's the brain.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50Your body is an amazing machine.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53But it can't do anything without your brain.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55Your brain is what makes you YOU.
0:04:55 > 0:04:59But it also tells the different parts of your body what to do.
0:04:59 > 0:05:01So if I want to move my fingers,
0:05:01 > 0:05:04I have to send an electrical signal from here to here.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06And that moves really fast.
0:05:06 > 0:05:08It goes at over 250 miles an hour,
0:05:08 > 0:05:10that's faster than a Formula One racing car.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12So we want to know more about
0:05:12 > 0:05:15where in the brain these signals come from.
0:05:15 > 0:05:16And in order to do that,
0:05:16 > 0:05:21we're going to use this multipulse transcranial magnetic stimulator!
0:05:21 > 0:05:24It's a big magnet.
0:05:24 > 0:05:25But it's a cool big magnet.
0:05:25 > 0:05:29It sends electromagnetic pulses to the brain which interfere
0:05:29 > 0:05:31with the brain's own electrical signals.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33And that means we can use it to work out
0:05:33 > 0:05:37which bit of the brain does what.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39Let's give this brain scrambler a whirl.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42Chris, what I want you to do first of all is reach up
0:05:42 > 0:05:44with your left hand and pick your nose.
0:05:44 > 0:05:46Perfect. You did it perfectly, that was lovely.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48Now, I'm going to get you to do the same thing again,
0:05:48 > 0:05:52but this time I'm going to try and interfere with the brain scrambler.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55So, Chris, when you're ready, pick your nose.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59'Every time Chris's finger wiggles,
0:05:59 > 0:06:03'that's the magnet or brain scrambler interfering with his brain's signals.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07'Which means he cannot pick his nose properly.' You missed.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11But magnetic brain scrambler is also showing us
0:06:11 > 0:06:14which part of Chris's brain controls has left hand.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16I'm on the right side of Chris's body,
0:06:16 > 0:06:18but it's his left hand that is twitching.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21That's because your brain is wired back to front
0:06:21 > 0:06:24so the right side of his brain controls the left side of his body,
0:06:24 > 0:06:27and vice versa. So let's now try it on the other side.
0:06:27 > 0:06:28And you're ready, go.
0:06:28 > 0:06:32So now I am interfering with the left side of Chris's brain,
0:06:32 > 0:06:35and, look, his right hand is all over the place.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37- I feel like a cup of tea. - That sounds lovely.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43Actually, it's me that is drinking the tea and it's cold tea.
0:06:43 > 0:06:44But you'll see why.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48I reckon we can have a bit of fun with this brain scrambler.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51- Oops, there it goes! - HE COUGHS
0:06:51 > 0:06:55The brain scrambler is interfering with our brain's normal signals
0:06:55 > 0:06:58and it's creating a right mess.
0:07:03 > 0:07:07Emergency rescue teams need to get to the scene of an accident quickly.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10And there are lots of different ways they can get there to help you.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14We're going on call with the UK's emergency services.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17Heading into the thick of the action to help save lives.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20Now it is Xand's turn on the front line.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23I'm giving you exclusive access to a top medical team.
0:07:23 > 0:07:27Every year they respond to almost 1,000,000 medical emergencies.
0:07:27 > 0:07:28I'm heading out in this
0:07:28 > 0:07:31state-of-the-art rapid response vehicle
0:07:31 > 0:07:34to show you more about the life-saving work these paramedics do.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36I'm going on call.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40This is the West Midlands Ambulance Service.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42They've got more than 800 vehicles on the road
0:07:42 > 0:07:44ready to come to your rescue.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48On call with me today is paramedic Jan Vann.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52We're in the car ready to go and a new call has just come in.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55All we've got at the moment is an address, nothing else.
0:07:55 > 0:07:59This service takes thousands of 999 calls and they send information
0:07:59 > 0:08:03about the patient and update us via the radio as we're on our way.
0:08:03 > 0:08:04We're getting information now
0:08:04 > 0:08:07that somebody has fallen and hurt their arm.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10When we get there, I'll be filming on my camera, too,
0:08:10 > 0:08:13so you can get right to the heart of the action.
0:08:13 > 0:08:163½ minutes from the call, and we're there.
0:08:16 > 0:08:20As we get into the house, I can see Frank with his daughter.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22He's sitting on the living room floor unable to move.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25Frank, do you know why you fell this morning?
0:08:25 > 0:08:27What were you trying to do?
0:08:27 > 0:08:31- Transfer from that into the wheelchair.- OK.
0:08:31 > 0:08:36And I tried to get up to that chair there.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39How long have you been sitting on the ground for?
0:08:39 > 0:08:41Since seven o'clock this morning.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44That is 6½ hours!
0:08:44 > 0:08:46Frank is a patient Jan has met before.
0:08:46 > 0:08:50He has quite a few existing health problems.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53We've got to figure out why he fell. Does he have an infection?
0:08:53 > 0:08:56Is his blood sugar low? Did he have a stroke?
0:08:56 > 0:08:59Jan begins a thorough investigation to figure out why Frank might
0:08:59 > 0:09:02have fallen doing a manoeuvre he does every day from his armchair
0:09:02 > 0:09:06- to his wheelchair.- You sound a bit chesty when you're breathing.
0:09:06 > 0:09:08Have you been feeling unwell recently?
0:09:08 > 0:09:11I can't shake off a cold I've had for a few weeks.
0:09:11 > 0:09:15OK. I think he has got probably a touch of cellulitis coming on.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17I think your leg's getting infected again.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20So what started off as a very simple fall out of a chair
0:09:20 > 0:09:24becomes more and more complicated since we have spoken to Frank,
0:09:24 > 0:09:27as he's got diabetes, he has got a high temperature,
0:09:27 > 0:09:28his chest sounds a bit bad.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32- He's got some infected skin on his leg.- We'll get you comfy.
0:09:32 > 0:09:37With so many health concerns, we need to get Frank to hospital.
0:09:37 > 0:09:38And to do that, the ambulance team
0:09:38 > 0:09:43have arrived with a nifty gadget to move Frank quickly and safely.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46What we've got here is a really cool bit of kit,
0:09:46 > 0:09:50a kind of inflatable cushion that'll lift Frank up.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53With the aid of this inflating cushion,
0:09:53 > 0:09:57Frank is off the ground in just a couple of minutes.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59So that's Frank on his way to hospital.
0:09:59 > 0:10:03Paramedics like Jan are skilled not just at looking at the immediate
0:10:03 > 0:10:07problem, but also investigating thoroughly to see what might have
0:10:07 > 0:10:08caused the situation to happen
0:10:08 > 0:10:12so that patients can get the right care.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14He's normally at home, self caring, looks after himself,
0:10:14 > 0:10:17transfers every day from his chair to his wheelchair.
0:10:17 > 0:10:19But today, because of his temperature,
0:10:19 > 0:10:22he hasn't got the energy to do that, that's why he has fallen.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24Because we were there within 3½ minutes of the 999 call,
0:10:24 > 0:10:28now Frank can get the treatment he needs in hospital.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32With rapid response teams like this on stand-by all over the UK,
0:10:32 > 0:10:36it means that expert care can be with YOU within minutes of an emergency.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40Still to come...
0:10:40 > 0:10:44We say ta-ra to some troublesome tonsils.
0:10:44 > 0:10:50We'll show you how to mystify your friends with our mind-bending trick.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52And we give these hungry leeches a tasty snack...
0:10:52 > 0:10:55HE SCREAMS ..by letting them feed on my arm.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57But now...
0:11:00 > 0:11:03You use 200 of them to take just one step.
0:11:03 > 0:11:08- And virtually all of them to throw a ball.- Wow, that's amazing.
0:11:08 > 0:11:09And so is this.
0:11:09 > 0:11:13This is South London, a deserted urban landscape
0:11:13 > 0:11:16and a stage to showcase something spectacular.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20Fancy a stroll up into the air?
0:11:20 > 0:11:23There are no wires and this isn't trick photography.
0:11:23 > 0:11:27It's all skill and some ridiculously impressive muscles.
0:11:28 > 0:11:30Meet Tim "Livewire" Shieff.
0:11:30 > 0:11:34He's the world champion free runner and he has an amazing body.
0:11:40 > 0:11:44Tim first started free running when he was 16 years old.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47Tim is a professional, so don't even think about trying
0:11:47 > 0:11:49this at home or outside the home, or anywhere.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54Before I start a new run, I'll check every piece of equipment.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56That's very important, safety first.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59We check every wall, it's grippy, there's no loose bricks.
0:11:59 > 0:12:00Look, he is like Spiderman!
0:12:00 > 0:12:04It's important to us that we don't damage the environment we go into.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08And did you know that Tim is one of the few free runners
0:12:08 > 0:12:12in the world able to control a one-handed handstand?
0:12:12 > 0:12:15So how does Tim's body defy gravity?
0:12:15 > 0:12:18To raise his entire body weight into the air,
0:12:18 > 0:12:22it's the massively mighty deltoids in Tim's shoulders.
0:12:23 > 0:12:27Inside Tim's leg, he has developed stupendously strong quadriceps,
0:12:27 > 0:12:29the four muscles on the front of your thigh.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34And his speciality, the human flag.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37And move which requires crazily powerful abdominal
0:12:37 > 0:12:40and lateral muscles to raise his legs high in the air.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42Now that's amazing!
0:12:48 > 0:12:50- Xand, that's amazing!- Really?- No.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52Let's head back to accident and emergency
0:12:52 > 0:12:53to see what's happening with our patient.
0:12:56 > 0:12:5714-year-old Rachel is in hospital
0:12:57 > 0:12:59after coming in with a dislocated jaw.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03She was bored at home. You know how it is, nothing to do,
0:13:03 > 0:13:06so she opened her mouth wide and bit the sofa.
0:13:07 > 0:13:09The things you do when you're bored.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12But we have Dr Shrouk Messahel on the case.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15'Having given Rachel some medication to relax her jaw muscles,
0:13:15 > 0:13:19'it's time for her to get to work on that jammed jaw.'
0:13:19 > 0:13:21OK, just try not to bite onto me, sweetheart.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24I just gripped hold of her jawbone, put my thumbs right at the back
0:13:24 > 0:13:27and just pushed down and back really quite hard.
0:13:27 > 0:13:31I was actually kneeling on the bed to get my weight behind it.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33'This might look extreme,
0:13:33 > 0:13:36'but the lower jaw is one of the strongest bones in the body.'
0:13:36 > 0:13:39- Good girl, you're doing great. - You OK?
0:13:39 > 0:13:41'And I think we have success!'
0:13:41 > 0:13:43- Is it back?- Yeah.- Oh, you're a star.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46'That was quick!'
0:13:46 > 0:13:49As soon as I let go, she was able to move her jaw,
0:13:49 > 0:13:52she was able to actually clench the whole of her bottom teeth together.
0:13:52 > 0:13:54My thumbs also hurt.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56That's not right!
0:13:56 > 0:14:00'Rachel's finally able to shut it, but just to be on the safe side,
0:14:00 > 0:14:04'let's get her X-rayed quick and check everything's in place.'
0:14:04 > 0:14:09So these will get sent down on the computer for the doctor to view.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11'Now you can open AND close your mouth, Rachel,
0:14:11 > 0:14:13'what have you got to say for yourself?'
0:14:13 > 0:14:15I knew what I'd done straightaway.
0:14:15 > 0:14:17'Well, you did have half a sofa in your mouth.'
0:14:17 > 0:14:19She needs to stop biting things.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21'Good idea.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24'Anyway, the X-rays are back and they're looking good. Say cheese!
0:14:24 > 0:14:29'But Dr Shrouk will also want to examine Rachel's jaw again.'
0:14:29 > 0:14:33- Is the X-ray showing that it looks like it's back?- The X-ray looks OK.
0:14:33 > 0:14:35Is that how she normally looks?
0:14:35 > 0:14:39- 'Mum'll know if she looks right.' - I think it is, yes.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42'You think? She's only lived with you for 14 years!
0:14:42 > 0:14:45'At least Rachel will know her own face.'
0:14:45 > 0:14:47- Is that what you normally look like?- I don't know.
0:14:47 > 0:14:49'Don't know?! Are there no mirrors in your home?!
0:14:49 > 0:14:53'Maybe she's eaten them all. Well, with all this uncertainty,
0:14:53 > 0:14:56'Dr Shrouk opts for one last bit of treatment.
0:14:56 > 0:14:58'You're going to love this, Rachel.'
0:14:58 > 0:15:02- We're going to have to put a bandage round your head.- OK!
0:15:02 > 0:15:05- 'Told you.' - I'm going to look really stupid.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08'Yep, but at least it'll keep that jaw in place.'
0:15:08 > 0:15:10Obviously, I want to go out tomorrow as well,
0:15:10 > 0:15:13which isn't going to look good.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16'I'd like to say it will look fine, but, well...
0:15:16 > 0:15:18'it doesn't.'
0:15:19 > 0:15:21'Still, your mum will make sure no-one gets to see you
0:15:21 > 0:15:24'looking like a half-dressed Egyptian mummy.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26'Hang on, what's she doing?'
0:15:26 > 0:15:29Stop getting your phone out and taking pictures.
0:15:29 > 0:15:31'That snap will be shown to the neighbours, I bet.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34'Anyway, it's back home for poor Rachel.'
0:15:34 > 0:15:36Back to normal, I've just got to go back home
0:15:36 > 0:15:38and face my dad and my sister now.
0:15:38 > 0:15:40They're going to be laughing their heads off at me.
0:15:40 > 0:15:44'Don't worry, no-one's going to laugh, honest!'
0:15:44 > 0:15:46I'm glad we got it all sorted out for her,
0:15:46 > 0:15:49even though she did have to leave with a bandage round her head.
0:15:54 > 0:15:58We've got some incredible body tricks.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01Want to find out how to stop your friends from being able
0:16:01 > 0:16:03to control the movement of their foot?
0:16:03 > 0:16:05So I want you to take your right foot,
0:16:05 > 0:16:09stick it out in front of you and I want you to make circles like that.
0:16:09 > 0:16:11Clockwise, so if you're looking at a clock face,
0:16:11 > 0:16:14I want you to make a circle, the same direction the hands move.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17Very good, so everyone can do that. It's easy, isn't it?
0:16:17 > 0:16:21Without touching, I'm going to stop you being able to do that.
0:16:21 > 0:16:25What I want you to do is get your right finger up in the air, OK?
0:16:25 > 0:16:28I want you to trace the number six big in the air like that,
0:16:28 > 0:16:32and keep doing it. See if you can keep your foot spinning clockwise
0:16:32 > 0:16:34while you make a big number six.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37- I can't do it!- I can't do it.- I can!
0:16:37 > 0:16:41OK, so who understands why you can't do the trick?
0:16:41 > 0:16:46Because your finger is going the opposite direction to your foot,
0:16:46 > 0:16:48so it kind of confuses your brain.
0:16:48 > 0:16:50Excellent work, Tess.
0:16:50 > 0:16:54When we draw the number six, it's an anticlockwise movement.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57When we try to move our foot clockwise our brain gets confused
0:16:57 > 0:17:01and tries to make them move in the same direction.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04Your brain finds it very hard to coordinate two circles,
0:17:04 > 0:17:06one going that way and one going the other way.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10But some of you found that if you drew the letter six clockwise,
0:17:10 > 0:17:14it's very easy cos everything moves in the same direction.
0:17:14 > 0:17:15I fooled with all of your brains.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18'And that's why this lot will never be able to do it,
0:17:18 > 0:17:20'and we bet you can't either.'
0:17:25 > 0:17:30Now it's time for us to hit the hospitals to show you what goes on.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33Today, we're in the operating theatre.
0:17:33 > 0:17:37A-a-a-a-a-a-ah!
0:17:37 > 0:17:40Can you see my tonsils? A-a-a-ah!
0:17:40 > 0:17:43Of course you can't, they were taken out when I was six.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46But what are these so-called "tonsils?" What do they do?
0:17:46 > 0:17:50Why were mine removed? I'm on duty with a tonsil team to find out.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53Your tonsils sit at the back of your throat,
0:17:53 > 0:17:56but what are they doing there?
0:17:56 > 0:17:58Meet Dr Anand Kasbekar.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01He specialises in the ears, nose and throat.
0:18:01 > 0:18:05- We don't 100% know exactly what the tonsils do...- 'What?!'
0:18:05 > 0:18:09But we have a fairly good idea. They fight bugs, essentially.
0:18:09 > 0:18:10They're your body's line of defence.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13Why do they get infected themselves?
0:18:13 > 0:18:15Sometimes, it's just too much for them to fight,
0:18:15 > 0:18:17and the tonsils themselves enlarge,
0:18:17 > 0:18:20they get inflamed, which causes pain.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23And it's when your tonsils become so inflamed and painful
0:18:23 > 0:18:25that you might need to have them taken out.
0:18:25 > 0:18:29But don't worry, your body can cope perfectly well without them.
0:18:29 > 0:18:31There are plenty of other glands
0:18:31 > 0:18:34and other bits of your body like your tonsils that fight infection,
0:18:34 > 0:18:36so if you've lost your tonsils, don't worry.
0:18:36 > 0:18:40Well, that's a relief. Now I'm going to see some tonsils removed,
0:18:40 > 0:18:43so let's see who's on the ward to have theirs out today.
0:18:43 > 0:18:47This is Bailey. How big do you think your tonsils are going to be?
0:18:47 > 0:18:51- I think they're going to be about that big.- Whoa!
0:18:51 > 0:18:54- You think they're going to be pretty big. Show me them.- A-a-a-ah!
0:18:54 > 0:18:58'Ignore the dangly bit in the middle. These are the tonsils.'
0:18:58 > 0:19:02Bailey's tonsils are absolutely massive, they're lumpy, they're big.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05They really look like they need to come out. What do you think?
0:19:07 > 0:19:10'Also on the surgical ward today is Amber.'
0:19:10 > 0:19:13- Can you give me an "A-a-a-ah!" - A-a-a-ah!
0:19:13 > 0:19:17Oh, look, there they are. Have you done this in the mirror?
0:19:18 > 0:19:21So, Bailey and Amber are about to have their tonsils out.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25'But I wonder whose are going to be bigger.'
0:19:25 > 0:19:27Let's go and find out.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31'This is the operating theatre.'
0:19:31 > 0:19:33This is very exciting for me.
0:19:33 > 0:19:37We've been allowed to come in and watch this surgery, which is amazing.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40But it's particularly amazing cos it's an operation that I had,
0:19:40 > 0:19:42and I've never seen it.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44'First up to get her tonsils out is Amber.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47'She's fast asleep and the team are ready for action.'
0:19:47 > 0:19:51What Anand's doing is he's taken the tonsil and lifted it out
0:19:51 > 0:19:54of the pocket of muscle that it sits in, so it's almost on a stalk.
0:19:54 > 0:19:58And then he's using the electrified tweezers to gently pull
0:19:58 > 0:20:02the tonsil away from its surrounding tissue, and it's almost like
0:20:02 > 0:20:04when you peel a piece of chicken skin off a chicken breast.
0:20:04 > 0:20:08You can find the right direction to go through and lift it out.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12So that is the right tonsil coming out now.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16So this is the second tonsil coming out. There it is.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19'So, Amber's tonsils are about as big as grapes,
0:20:19 > 0:20:21'but will Bailey's be any bigger?
0:20:21 > 0:20:23'On to Tonsil Take-out Number Two.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26'And this time, we've got Surgeon Sue Day in the hot seat,
0:20:26 > 0:20:29'and she prefers to use a different technique.'
0:20:29 > 0:20:32So, Sue's grabbed Bailey's tonsil and then she's using
0:20:32 > 0:20:35this very clever probe to basically burn away the tissue
0:20:35 > 0:20:36so she can remove it.
0:20:38 > 0:20:43'And there we go, number one, and hot on its heels is number two.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45'And as predicted, they look rather large.'
0:20:45 > 0:20:48How do those tonsils from Bailey compare to the ones
0:20:48 > 0:20:50we saw from Amber?
0:20:50 > 0:20:53I think Amber's tonsils looked fairly infected and...
0:20:53 > 0:20:56- Almost crumbly. - Yeah, crumbly and a bit shrivelled,
0:20:56 > 0:20:59and that can happen with lots of attacks of tonsillitis.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01But Bailey's are certainly bigger.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05So look in there. No more massive tonsils, which means,
0:21:05 > 0:21:08like Amber, Bailey will be infection and pain-free from now on.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10So that's it, two tonsils out.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14It's a really straightforward operation.
0:21:14 > 0:21:18It's all done in less than half an hour. Absolutely amazing.
0:21:35 > 0:21:36The answer is...
0:21:40 > 0:21:42That's nearly 40,000 litres of spit!
0:21:42 > 0:21:44HE HOCKS AND SPITS
0:21:44 > 0:21:46We'll never hold back in showing you gross stuff.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49So prepare your eyes for blood-sucking gross stuff.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51BOTH: This is Investigation Ouch!
0:21:52 > 0:21:56This is a leech and it's a type of worm.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00Whereas we only have one brain, a leech has 32,
0:22:00 > 0:22:04and while we have 32 teeth, a leech has 125.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07Their main diet is blood, and in fact, right now,
0:22:07 > 0:22:09I'm providing lunch for this one.
0:22:09 > 0:22:11Whilst it's on my arm,
0:22:11 > 0:22:14it's going to eat five times its own body weight in my blood.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17That's the equivalent of me eating a small cow,
0:22:17 > 0:22:18hooves and horns and everything.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20It's not just greedy, it's disgusting.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23But these wrigglers can actually save human lives,
0:22:23 > 0:22:26all by sucking our blood.
0:22:26 > 0:22:28To get drinking, this leech has bitten me,
0:22:28 > 0:22:31and now its saliva is working its way into my veins,
0:22:31 > 0:22:34releasing a chemical which will thin my blood,
0:22:34 > 0:22:36preventing it from clotting.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38And it's this ability to get our blood flowing
0:22:38 > 0:22:40that surgeons use in modern medicine.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45So let's say, you chop off the end of your finger.
0:22:45 > 0:22:49A surgeon can attach the finger, but if blood clots are formed
0:22:49 > 0:22:52inside the bit of dead finger, new blood can't get in
0:22:52 > 0:22:53and it will fall off.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56What doctors can now do is attach a leech to the tip of the finger
0:22:56 > 0:22:58and the same chemicals that allow my blood
0:22:58 > 0:23:01to flow into the leech on my arm dissolve the clots
0:23:01 > 0:23:04and allow fresh blood to enter the re-attached finger.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07There's no fancy machine or drug
0:23:07 > 0:23:09that can do this job as successfully as a leech,
0:23:09 > 0:23:11and with such an important medical role,
0:23:11 > 0:23:13leeches are bred on a massive scale.
0:23:13 > 0:23:18So while this one has a good feed on me, let's go and meet some more.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23This is Carl Peters-Bond.
0:23:23 > 0:23:25He's a leech-breeding king
0:23:25 > 0:23:28and is currently housing 30,000 of these wrigglers.
0:23:28 > 0:23:30- How do they breed?- Well, the leeches are male and female.
0:23:30 > 0:23:32They can fertilise themselves.
0:23:32 > 0:23:36Boys on one section, girls on the other, and they breed together.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39So when two leeches mate, they both get pregnant,
0:23:39 > 0:23:41which is pretty extraordinary.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43And wait till you meet their babies.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46This is a leech nest.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49When the leeches lay their eggs, it looks just like white foam
0:23:49 > 0:23:51and then it settles down to a sort of sponge.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55So this is made by the leeches, and I can just see the clear space
0:23:55 > 0:23:58at the top and then the leeches have settled to the bottom.
0:23:58 > 0:24:02Just going to cut the lid off. It is full of wriggling leeches.
0:24:02 > 0:24:06- This is like the world's worst Easter egg, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09That's so fascinating
0:24:09 > 0:24:12that I'm completely distracted from how disgusting it is,
0:24:12 > 0:24:14and I'm completely distracted from the fact
0:24:14 > 0:24:17that I've still got this enormous leech feeding off my arm.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20What's going to happen when he's full?
0:24:20 > 0:24:22Well, it's just going to drop off and then the hole it makes
0:24:22 > 0:24:27- will just keep oozing blood for ten hours.- 'Ten hours?!'
0:24:27 > 0:24:30Great(!) No-one told me that. That would have been nice to know.
0:24:30 > 0:24:34After an hour and a half on my arm, it's finally full
0:24:34 > 0:24:37and you can see how it's got the blood in my arm flowing.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39If you've cut your finger off,
0:24:39 > 0:24:41if the surgeon's re-attached the finger,
0:24:41 > 0:24:44it's the chemicals that are now making me bleed
0:24:44 > 0:24:46that allow new blood vessels and new blood
0:24:46 > 0:24:48to flow into the re-attached finger.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51They may be greedy, they may be, frankly, disgusting,
0:24:51 > 0:24:55but it is that that means they are the most amazing healers.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57And you can see how much it's grown.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59It really is five times bigger.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02I got quite attached to that...literally.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09Our next patient was just having a normal day.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12But now, they're in Accident and Emergency. Let's meet them.
0:25:14 > 0:25:16'This is five-year-old Tadhg,
0:25:16 > 0:25:20'who's modelling a very fetching bandage around his head.'
0:25:20 > 0:25:23I banged my head on the railings.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26And it really hurt.
0:25:26 > 0:25:28'I bet it did. So how did he end up
0:25:28 > 0:25:31'banging his bonce on the railings in the first place?'
0:25:34 > 0:25:38It was lunch time at school, and Tadhg was running - fast.
0:25:38 > 0:25:43- Faster than Olympic Gold-medallist Usain Bolt.- No way!
0:25:43 > 0:25:45Well...OK, not that fast, but go with it.
0:25:45 > 0:25:49He ran so fast, he passed three countries in three seconds.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52He ran across the world and into orbit.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55- No way!- No, I'm exaggerating. Nothing could stop him,
0:25:55 > 0:26:00- but then he slipped and went flying into some spiky railings.- Ouch!
0:26:00 > 0:26:02I think there's blood all over here.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04'Ooh, sounds nasty.'
0:26:06 > 0:26:10Enter Dr Vanessa Merrick. She'll sort Tadhg out.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13All right, what we're going to do is give it a clean.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15It looks a bit deep,
0:26:15 > 0:26:18so it may be that we need to put a couple of stitches in.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20He's got quite a big cut to the right side of his head.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23'Warning, this looks a bit gross.'
0:26:23 > 0:26:25Goes all the way through from the surface of the skin
0:26:25 > 0:26:29right through the fat that's underneath and through to the bone,
0:26:29 > 0:26:32so that's why we need to get stitches in to hold it together.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34'In that case, let's get that head numb.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37'We don't want Tadhg feeling those stitches.
0:26:37 > 0:26:41'First, Nurse Laura numbs the surface skin with gel.
0:26:41 > 0:26:45'Then Dr Vanessa injects a stronger anaesthetic deeper into the tissue.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48'This means Tadhg shouldn't feel a thing.'
0:26:48 > 0:26:51- Just going to have a test. Can you feel that?- What?
0:26:51 > 0:26:54- 'I'll take that as a no.' - Well, that's good then.
0:26:54 > 0:26:58'Now his head's numb, let's get stitching.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01'Stitches are only used when a wound is really deep.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05'They join the sides of the cut together to help it heal.'
0:27:05 > 0:27:08In this emergency department,
0:27:08 > 0:27:11they use 100 metres of stitching thread in a year.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14That would go round Tadhg's head 200 times.
0:27:15 > 0:27:19We're just going to put this over your eyes, sweetheart. Is that OK?
0:27:19 > 0:27:22'Anyway, to finish things up, Nurse Laura applies some special glue.
0:27:22 > 0:27:26'This seals the whole wound to help it heal and stop infection.'
0:27:26 > 0:27:28It's glued together pretty well, hasn't it?
0:27:30 > 0:27:35'Now he's stitched up, it's time for Tadhg to head home. Next time...'
0:27:35 > 0:27:39There's more exclusive behind-the-scenes emergency access.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42With a fingertip that's been chopped off.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45- 'Things get whiffy when I go in search of sweat.'- Oh, grim!
0:27:45 > 0:27:47And this man reveals a jaw-dropping ability.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50So we'll see you next time on...
0:27:50 > 0:27:52BOTH: Operation Ouch!
0:27:55 > 0:27:58Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd