Frontline Medicine is a two part series of documentaries exploring the link between war and medical research.

The first documentary looks at how medics in Afghanistan have achieved the highest survival rates in the history of warfare. One part explains how a simple tourniquet band has been designed for use in the military to reduce initial bleeding from serious wounds. The band is carried by all military troops and has already saved countless lives. Now ambulance services are using the band back in the UK.

The second part explains how medicine and technology can help rebuild the lives of those injured in theatre. Military funding is pushing medical technology further than most would ever imagine. Frontline Medicine documents how in just five years time, we could be 3D printing human organs, similar to how we currently print 3D prototypes, and how human muscle tissue can be re-grown from pigs bladder to aid full recovery after traumatic injuries. Other amazing medical advances include hand and face transplants as well as advancements in prosthetic limb technology.

It’s humbling to see how the horrific and devastating injuries caused by the war have encouraged and driven new medical and technological advances which can be utilised in civilian applications such as the emergency teams. The methods of developing and adapting new technologies in this field are successfully re-building, saving and transforming lives affected by the war and linked to the current conflicts.

It amazes me how we humans can adapt to cope with horrific experiences such as warfare through research, new technology and a common goal to improve the overall quality of people’s lives.