Surgery Godfather - Chapter 67

Chapter 67: Chapter 0065: The Third Strike

Director Han arrived in the changing room less than ten minutes into his rest.

Yang Ping reported the catheter issue to Director Han.

Director Han asked, “Where is that piece of the catheter? Did you throw it away?”

“It’s in the trash can of the disposal room,” Yang Ping honestly replied.

Director Han said, “You all lack caution. How could you throw away the catheter? In such situations, you should keep the catheter, protect the scene, and have someone from the medical department investigate and record. This matter could be insignificant or serious.”

While saying this, he dialed a number, “Yao Ling, yes, I was about to tell you about it. Don’t throw away the catheter. Report it to the Nursing Department. I’ll report it to the Medical Department. Have someone find the catheter and guard the restroom where it’s located.”

After giving clear instructions, Director Han asked Yang Ping, “Does Director Ouyang know about this?”

“They’re all in the operating room, so probably not,” Yang Ping responded uncertainly.

Director Han pondered for a moment and said, “Remind me to bring this up with Director Ouyang later.”

Situations like this needed to be addressed separately, not like other matters which could easily be clarified with a few casual words during a stroll in his operating room.

“Where did you learn your incredible bone-setting skills?” Director Han suddenly changed the topic, swiftly taking advantage of the fact that they were the only two in the changing room, a perfect opportunity to ask his question.

Yang Ping was taken aback. He thought Director Han wouldn’t ask this question. He didn’t expect him to bring it up so abruptly.

“I taught myself,” Yang Ping answered.

“Mastering the art of bone-setting single-handedly is as challenging as ascending to the heavens.” Director Han didn’t question his credibility, and would believe anything Yang Ping said now. He just wanted confirmation from Yang Ping himself.

“Professor Zhang, it’s important for you to learn from him often. He has a lot of knowledge to share with us.” Director Han emphasized “us,” implying that to Director Han, Professor Zhang was also an excellent teacher.

“We are seeing more and more patients with severed fingers. The ward is under strain. I’m thinking of expanding Trauma Orthopedics to two levels, and renaming it Micro Trauma Orthopedics. What do you think?”

“Creating a separate department for Hand Surgery isn’t meaningful; it’s just a branch of Trauma Orthopedics. If we could create Micro Trauma Orthopedics, it would leverage the advantages of our current microsurgery, without breaking down Trauma Orthopedics into smaller fragments.” Director Han’s topic jumped wildly, changing without warning.

“I definitely agree with that,” Yang Ping agreed with Director Han’s suggestion. Sometimes trauma cases encounter skin deficits. Having trauma orthopedics handle bone fractures while asking hand surgery to deal with flap surgery is redundant. Hand Surgery is already a small branch of Trauma Orthopedics.

“I’ve considered this for a long time. The development of the department in the future, Trauma Orthopedics is the driving force, and the other departments are dependent on it. The signpost for Microsurgery must be erected properly. The current development meets my expectations. There are now dozens of finger reattachments at the hospital. But who should be the director if we create Micro Trauma Orthopedics?” Director Han rhythmically tapped his thigh.

Why wouldn’t Director Han continue as the director? Yang Ping was a little puzzled.

“This is a dilemma. Tian Yuan won’t do. You’d have to follow me…” Director Han mumbled to himself, leaving his sentence hanging.

“The surgery should almost be ready. Let’s go!” Director Han got up.

With experience, they knew roughly how long it would take to prepare a patient for surgery and administer anesthesia. The timing couldn’t be off by more than a few minutes.

As expected, Little Five called, “The surgery is ready.”

The two of them went through the semi-restricted area and into the restricted area.

The doors were automatically triggered, very responsive, without needing to manually press a switch. The door opens at a proper distance when approached and timely closes when leaving.

Compared to other hospitals, Sanbo Hospital’s operating rooms were far more advanced, mainly because the hospital was newer, which made things easier as modern systems could be implemented.

Some hospitals, constrained by limited grounds in the urban area, could only expand by relentlessly establishing branches, taking the group-based development path. G City’s Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital was an example of this.

There were several surgeries lined up. Director Han, Yang Ping, and Song Zimo were only operating on pelvic fractures and some particularly complex fractures. Everything else was done by Yang Ping and Song Zimo.

They performed the surgeries, but Director Han’s name was written on the surgical records. This practice was tacitly approved. Subordinate doctors could grow this way; otherwise, they would be stuck in a vicious cycle – not being allowed to perform surgery would prevent technical maturity, resulting in them not qualifying to perform surgeries.

Under the guidance and supervision of senior doctors, it was perfectly legal and reasonable to be the lead surgeon in an operation beyond one’s authority.

Director Han was fighting for Yang Ping to get independent surgical authority, perfectly legitimate authority, which would impact his position within the hospital, his treatment, and future learning opportunities.

The scheduled surgeries included fractures of the proximal humerus, distal radius comminuted fracture, distal femur fracture, ankle joint fracture, and probably two finger reattachments by the late afternoon or early evening.

Professor Zhang Zongshun’s Hermes patient could have scheduled surgery already, but he adamantly refused. While most patients would eagerly schedule their surgery, he was the odd one out who disagreed.

Upon questioning, it turned out that they were worried that Professor Zhang’s leg injury had not healed, preventing him from supervising the surgery in person. He said that injuries to the muscles and bones take at least a hundred days to heal, hence he would have to wait three months before performing surgery. He also mentioned that they had waited three years already, so waiting another three months was not an issue.

The hospital doesn’t have accommodations for him to stay for three months, and the Overseas Chinese Building isn’t an option either. This guy bought an apartment in a community near the hospital, exclusively to use while waiting for surgery.

Having no understanding of the world of the rich, all Yang Ping wants is to be a good doctor. He truly loves his profession!

The houses near Nandu Medical University’s Tumor Hospital are priced at triple or even five times the normal rental price, and hotels are even worse, in demand but not available.

Why? It’s because the tumor patients are waiting for a bed in the hospital, generally not just for a few days, but for months. With no other option, they rent apartments as they wait, which has gradually led to the development of a rental industry around the hospital.

Some unfortunate patients die before a bed becomes available.

Given the current increase in the number of reattachment cases, he anticipates completing the indirect task of one hundred finger reattachment surgeries ahead of schedule. Recalling that his points are still insufficient to purchase a pelvic acetabular fracture surgery training, he feels a bit frustrated. He wonders if he will only be able to buy it once he completes this indirect task and gets the 50,000 points. Yang Ping is worried.

His days are filled with frugality, spreading every minutia of income as far as possible. He yearns for the day he can have financial freedom.

“I’ll operate on the proximal humerus, and you guide from below?” Song Zimo’s tolerance to setbacks is impressive. Despite the consecutive calling-outs these past few days, he hasn’t given up his ambition to excel.

He seems a bit smug, albeit slightly dampened from his earlier arrogance.

It’s just a proximal humeral fracture. Little Five has already moved the round stool to the corner. Yang Ping sits down while Song Zimo leads both Zhang Lin and Little Five onto the stage.

“Not using a metal plate?” There is no metal plate on the surgical table, nor is there a technician from the surgical tool company underneath the table.

“Kirschner wire!” Song Zimo coldly responds. He is devoid of emotion, simply falling into habit.

Apparently, at the annual G City medical sector basketball match, a group of die-hard fans will fervently cheer for him, but he remains indifferent to these fans.

Although it’s not the lower part of the humerus, splintered fractures like this on the upper end of the humerus presents high difficulty, even when fixed with Kirschner wires.

Yang Ping is slightly interested, seeing Song Zimo as a Lion King. Indeed, it suits Song Zimo – he is likely a Leo by the zodiac.

Disinfecting sheets, attaching the suction tube to the electric knife, and meticulous pre-surgical checks that never become tiresome.

The surgery begins. Song Zimo’s surgical technique is excellent. For this right-shouldered patient, using a right hand to operate can be awkward, but Song Zimo can use his left hand.

He is one of the few in the department who can use both hands equally well. There are others – Director Han, Tian Yuan. As for Yang Ping, he is adept with both hands, using either hand as freely as the main hand is merely a distinction between primary and advanced lessons.

Song Zimo’s left-hand techniques are as proficient as his right-hand ones. Moreover, Song Zimo’s surgeries have their own unique flair – graceful movements, poses, chest-out head-down, movements confined mainly at the wrist.

“Raise your head!” Song Zimo’s stern voice commands.

Zhang Lin hastily straightens his hunched body. On the operating table, Song Zimo despises vulgar actions, a flaw which Zhang Lin unfortunately has.

But Zhang Lin doesn’t harbor any resentment.

As Song Zimo’s knife slices through the skin, a beautiful arc appears, a red line that gradually thickens from thinness. The skin parts, and then the subcutaneous deep fascia, the cephalic vein is pulled apart, smoothly entering through the muscular space, perfectly revealing the fracture.

He has done many surgeries before – during his studies, he was favored by his mentor. After he started working, he was deeply trusted by Director Han. Many surgeries that his peers wouldn’t dare attempt, he could perform under the director’s guidance.

Indeed, a favored one of heaven, such is Song Zimo!

This type of surgery is normally a breeze for him. But today, it bears a special significance. He plans to use the Kirschner wire and metal thread for this surgery, testing the Rubik’s cube-like repositioning and fixation puzzle.

He has poured quite a bit of effort into studying this, even mastering the recombination of a three-phase Rubik’s cube, primarily to understand the significance of sequence in recombination.

Yang Ping stands up and steps to the lightbox, carefully analyzing the X-ray films hung up. There isn’t any CT 3D reconstruction – was this deliberate?

“I’ve drawn 120 diagrams!” Song Zimo announces.

He is skilled in medical illustration. Yang Ping saw his illustrations once before, and they were stunning. As a surgeon, he is extraordinary, exceptional!

Indeed, he has meticulously planned the repositioning sequence. It must have proceeded through meticulous brainstorming, constant trial and error, and optimization.

Yang Ping believes the first person to solve the Rubik’s cube must not have done it in one go but through multiple trial and errors, ultimately summing up the sequence of repositioning steps.

Song Zimo has grasped the essence, understanding the core of this type of repositioning – optimizing the sequence. If a single piece is out of place, the entire project is a failure.