4 Craziest Grey’s Anatomy Cases That Were Actually Based on Real-Life Stories 

Grey’s Anatomy is perhaps the most popular medical show on television, and rightfully so. The series pays great attention to the issues of medical ethics and solving difficult work problems. It is also quite realistic — some of the stories are taken directly from real life.

1. Put On a Happy Face — Cobalt Poisoning

In season 16, doctors suspected that Richard Webber had Alzheimer's disease because his symptoms were consistent with it. However, it turned out that these symptoms were caused by cobalt poisoning as a result of his hip replacement. This is a rare but real consequence of such a surgery.

It is also interesting to note that a similar plot was used in House, M.D. where heart failure was a consequence of cobalt poisoning. Later, doctors in one of the German clinics were able to diagnose the patient correctly thanks to this episode (via Time).

2. All I Could Do Was Cry — Osteogenesis Imperfecta

The title of season 11 episode 11 expresses the emotions of every viewer who watched this story. April learned that her unborn child had osteogenesis imperfecta, a disease that caused bones to break easily.

Sarah Drew, who played April, admitted that such a tragedy had happened to her friend. When Sarah learned that her character would become pregnant, she suggested this story to creator Shonda Rhimes as a plot for one of the episodes (via THR).

3. There’s No I in Team — Domino Surgery

In season 5, Bailey performed a unique procedure called the "domino surgery." During the procedure, 12 kidney transplants were performed simultaneously in six operating rooms.

A year later, a very similar case occurred in real life — surgeons of three U.S. clinics performed a simultaneous transplant of six kidneys using the domino principle. This series of operations was the first multi-hospital transplant of such a large number of organs.

4. Sometimes a Fantasy — CIPA

In season 3, the doctors were faced with a truly unique case — they had to find out what happened to a girl who believed she was a superhero because she felt no pain. Since the little patient had many cuts and bruises, the doctors decided that she was being abused by her parents, but then it turned out that the girl suffered from a rare disease – CIPA (congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis).

One of the executive producers admitted in an interview that the story was inspired by an article in a medical journal (via EW).

Sources: Time, The Hollywood Reporter, Entertainment Weekly