Medical Frontiers, presented by Professor Robert Winston, is a new medical series for BBC One, examining the life and death decisions made every day on the edge of medicine.

Far from the safety of known procedures, the 3×60 series follows the lives of patients and medics making the impossible decision to jump into the unknown. What are their reasons? How do loved-ones manage the calculated gamble and what of the professionals who must place all faith in their skills?

The first programme delves into the technical frontier of robotic surgery. In a world of near-science fiction, the first MRI-compatible robot will operate on a human brain. Meanwhile the Da Vinci robot undertakes keyhole operations on children.

The second episode explores the revolutionary world of stem-cell technology. Stories include a brilliant – but highly experimental – treatment to encourage a damaged heart to mend itself after a coronary. However, in the midst of a heart attack, how can a medic prescribe an experimental new treatment?

The final programme visits Africa where a desperate lack of resources forces a British trauma surgeon to turn to alternative methods. And following the story of a tiny baby in London with severely deformed feet, the story shows how frontiers of medicine aren’t necessarily reached only through high-cost and high-technology.

Robert Winston, Professor of Science and Society, Emeritus Professor of Fertility Studies, Imperial College, London, guides audiences through the maze of emotion and science. His insightful perceptions make this a thought-provoking and entertaining guide into a world where courageous individuals are paving the way for everybody’s health tomorrow.