Chapter 230: [230] Preoperative discussion meeting Chapter 230: [230] Preoperative discussion meeting The students sat in the second row, with three doctors from the same department occupying the front row, centered around Tan Kelin.
The only senior associate in the group, and also the one with the most authority, Tan Kelin was looking down with fingertips flipping through a medical record, not speaking.
Xie Wanying thought, It seems that Teacher Tan always prefers interacting with test reports over talking to people.
Liu Chengran spoke on behalf of the superior, “Let’s begin.”
The preoperative discussion started with Dr. Xiao Sun as the moderator, while the doctoral student Luo Yanfen was responsible for taking notes.
“Tomorrow’s operations are for bed 3 and bed 8,” Doctor Sun said, “Bed 3 is scheduled for a laparoscopic exploration and Radical Surgery for gastric cancer. The surgery is major and expected to be long, probably scheduled as the first operation in the morning. Anyone with comments can speak up now.”
What’s called a preoperative discussion is not just for the Chief Surgeon to talk, because the senior associate can’t be bothered to explain. The surgical plan can be inferred from the name of the surgery; the meeting is for the Chief Surgeon to hear if others have any additional opinions.
The students’ involvement is intended to improve their academic abilities, but without clinical experience, their suggestions usually have almost no value.
“You guys go first,” Doctor Sun said, giving the students in the back a chance to perform. This was part of their learning objectives during their rotation.
A few of the doctoral students who arrived earlier made it clear they didn’t want to speak first.
Xie Wanying looked at the hesitation of these people and thought of the nurses’ fear; it seemed that Teacher Tan with the single eyelids really wasn’t easy to talk to.
“She just got here today, how about letting her speak first?” Luo Yanfen suggested, pointing at Xie Wanying.
“The patient in bed 3 wants to start with a laparoscopic exploration for gastric cancer, probably because the patient hopes for a smaller surgical incision. Personally, I think this exploration is unnecessary; an open surgery would be better,” Xie Wanying bluntly stated, assuming the forthright character of the surgical teachers wouldn’t want to waste time.
Upon hearing her straightforwardness, the people around were stunned.
“Doctor Sun, I don’t think we need to record what she said, right?” Luo Yanfen asked the superior doctor: A rookie actually daring to completely upend the senior associate’s surgical plan, how can this be recorded?
Doctor Sun couldn’t make the decision and turned with a look seeking guidance from a superior.
Tan Kelin continued to give others a cold profile, as usual, focused on the medical record.
The senior associate didn’t say no, so does that mean they were allowing it to be discussed?
“Continue,” roughly understanding the superior’s temperament, Doctor Sun turned back and directed Xie Wanying to continue speaking.
Teacher Tan would let this rookie continue? Luo Yanfen, furrowing her brow, jabbed her pen into her notebook, too lazy to record another word said by Xie Wanying.
Since the teacher told her to speak, Xie Wanying continued, “Considering the patient’s preliminary examination results, the preoperative staging of gastric cancer should be T4, which means it’s an advanced tumor that has invaded surrounding tissues and organs. I guess one reason the patient doesn’t want a major surgery is a possibility, and Teacher Tan’s choice of laparoscopic could indicate he thinks palliative surgery might follow the exploration. Teacher Tan might estimate the patient’s true condition to be worse than the current results show.”
“You’re saying Teacher Tan is going to do a palliative surgery? Teacher Tan would have stated it directly,” Luo Yanfen suddenly looked up, impatiently retorted, “You’re new here, and you don’t know anything.”
The tone from the person opposite suddenly became confrontational; maybe the old-timers thought a newcomer had no right to express an opinion.
Seeing that her teacher hadn’t stopped her from speaking, Xie Wanying finished her point, “T4 advanced gastric cancer is not suitable for laparoscopic surgery. Even if the patient and their family members strongly request to attempt it, laparoscopic surgery definitely won’t be able to remove it completely. Teacher Tan might be planning it because he speculates the patient can’t endure an open surgery and may not survive the procedure. Anyway, there’s also the possibility of recurrence after Radical Surgery.”