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One, two, one.

Inside the operating room in a Swedish hospital, there was a buzz of activity,

but Dr. Calle Grinamo couldn't hear any of it.

He was too focused on what was in front of him.

This should be sort of the start of a new era when it comes to translational

surgery and the organ regeneration.

It was the morning of June 9, 2011.

The team in this room was about to make history.

For the first time, a windpipe manufactured in a laboratory

would be implanted into a human.

Leading this effort was Dr. Paolo Makierini.

A few days before surgery, Paolo asked me if I wanted to join

in the operating theater and look at the operation.

And I mean, this was like, you know, a rock star that asked me if I wanted to

come and join them backstage.

Dr. Grinamo didn't hesitate.

It was no brain at that time.

Now, he stood at the foot of the operating table, looking over the patient's feet

up to his neck where Dr. Makierini was working.

And what he saw was how much pressure this surgeon was under.

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