Sometimes a picture really is worth a 1,000 words. This is 17-year-old rugby player Rhys after surgery which would change his appearance and his whole life. On Tuesday, August 20, a new documentary series offered a unique glimpse into the daily lives of the dedicated healthcare professionals at south Wales hospitals.
The BBC Two series called Saving Lives in Cardiff provided a compelling insight into the challenges, triumphs, and unwavering commitment of the medical teams as they work tirelessly to save lives. One such life was that of Rhys, who has the chest deformity, pectus excavatum. The condition mostly affects boys and instead of being level with the ribs, the breastbone is sunken.
Lead thoracic surgeon Malgorzata Kornaszewska is the only specialist in Wales still performing a life-changing operation for pectus excavatum on the NHS . With lung cancer cases taking priority in their department it has been down to Malgorzata and her team to seize any gap in the theatre list for pectus surgery. READ MORE: Woman with double vision given terrifying diagnosis READ MORE: BBC Strictly's Amy Dowden shares breast cancer journey in 'scary' new documentary Rhys had been waiting for two years for his operation.
Pectus excavatum had caused pressure on his heart and lungs and breathing difficulties. It had also impacted his self-esteem and mental health since he was young because of how it affected his physical appearance. “There’s been a lot of teasing and that over the years buil.
