This Woman Makes Life-Like Prosthetics to 'Restore Missing Anatomy' for Patients on New TLC Show
TLC's new medical series Body Parts will have viewers grabbing for tissues — and PEOPLE has a sneak peek!
Premiering in April, Body Parts follows certified anaplastologist Allison Vest, whose works to "restore missing anatomy" for patients with realistic silicone body parts she crafts herself — "from noses, ears, eyes, fingers, toes, [to] other bits and pieces."
In this exclusive clip, Vest says she came upon anaplastology "by accident" while following her dual loves for art and biology. "I'm a traditionally trained artist that exists in the medical world," she says.
At her job, Vest sees a variety of people, from those born with conditions that left them with missing body parts to those with cancer or physical trauma.
"Everyone comes through these doors feeling like something's missing, and that's what we're trying to restore here," she says.
TLC
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Vest compares her office to "a mad scientist's lab," where some fingers may be found on one table and a few ears on another.
"You never really know what you're going to find in an anaplastology office," she says with a smile.
In one scene, Vest looks over a binder of ear prosthetic options with patient Ari Stojsik, who exclaims, "They don't look like prosthetics at all!"
"And you're surprised?" she asks the 21-year-old, who clutches her chest and says, "No!"
Stojsik is one of four individuals shown in this sneak peek in search of Vest's expertise. In Jay Jaszkowski's case, he's seeking out a prosthetic nose as he looks to find a girlfriend.
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The 56-year-old says as a single person, it's "hard to deal with" not having a nose. "It's very embarrassing," Jaszkowski tells Vest in the clip. "People look at you."
Victoria Mugo, 41, meanwhile, says she lost her hands after going into septic shock. "When I looked at my hands at the time, I just knew these weren't coming back," she says in the clip.
When Vest reveals her creation, Mugo is awestruck. "Is it anything that you imagined?" Vest asks, to which Mugo replies, in a whisper, "No, it's better!"
After putting them on later in the clip, Mugo adds, "They look so real! They look like someone's hands."
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Last up is Ian Bohnner, 66, who comes to Vest because of his confidence in her abilities to improve his life with a prosthetic eye. Like Mugo, Bohnner is also stunned by the result.
"That is unbelievable!" he exclaims while looking in a handheld mirror as Vest and a female assistant happily watch.
"The anaplastologist is the light at the end of the tunnel," Vest says, adding, "Turning that mirror around is that last missing piece."
She continues, "When they leave here, it's like they're put together again."
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Also premiering on TLC is the medical show Stuck, which depicts doctors attempting to "extract foreign objects that have somehow become stuck in their patients' bodies." TLC said in a press release that the show "promises the wildest, most fascinating and downright unbelievable interventions required to free objects lodged inside of peoples' bodies, with no easy exit in sight."
Stuck premieres Wednesday, February 16 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.
Body Parts premieres Wednesday, April 6 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on TLC.
