Chapter 843: [843] Must be cut clean Chapter 843: [843] Must be cut clean “I’m not sure,” He Jiuliang was somewhat reserved when reporting, “They believe the tumor can be removed and are preparing to perform a pathology analysis during surgery to further determine the method.”
The two newcomers were quite confident.
He Jiuliang continued, “They suspect it’s a borderline tumor. However, there is peritoneal metastasis, so completely removing it won’t be easy.”
Cancer is cancer, regardless of its malignancy level. If it is not completely removed and left unchecked, it will recur and can be fatal.
“Do you think you can remove it completely?” Tao Zhijie personally asked the two newcomers again.
Song Xueling, holding the laparoscope, glanced at Xie Wanying from behind his mask.
What did that look mean? Tao Zhijie and He Jiuliang wondered.
Does the chief surgeon believe that whether the tumor can be completely removed depends on the first assistant rather than himself?
He Jiuliang directly asked the chief surgeon again, actually intending to remind him, “If we’re to remove it completely, does that mean we should remove the spleen as well?”
Any doctor would agree that there is a chance one should strive to thoroughly eradicate cancer cells.
Removing the spleen alone won’t significantly affect the patient’s survival. On the contrary, leaving behind cancerous cells would indeed have a fatal impact on the patient’s life expectancy. Moreover, the tail of the pancreas is next to the spleen, making spleen metastasis almost inevitable.
However, if the tumor is of lower malignancy, doctors could attempt to preserve the spleen if possible. The spleen is the body’s largest immune organ, with anti-infection and anti-tumor functions, which play a significant role in postoperative recovery and ongoing cancer resistance.
If considering spleen preservation, the surgery is likely harder than splenectomy, involving large blood vessels such as the splenic artery and vein.
It would be best to preserve the splenic vessels when conserving the spleen, otherwise, it greatly increases the likelihood of splenic infarction, making a secondary surgery to remove the spleen more likely; in which case it might have been better not to preserve it in the first place.
Ultimately, the skills and judgment of the surgeon are most crucial.
Regarding this matter, Song Xueling’s gaze drifted across once more.
He Jiuliang caught that glance again and criticized him, “You’re the chief surgeon, so what are you looking at the first assistant for? Do you think she’s incapable and can’t coordinate with you? You can just speak up, Teacher Tao can let you switch people.”
This guy must be a fresh graduate, perhaps he’s seen similar surgeries in Beidu but isn’t proficient, so he’s feeling timid, He Jiuliang thought. But why look at an intern? Xie Wanying is just an intern, with even less surgical experience, unlikely having participated in such surgeries, and the steps should be unfamiliar to her; how could she be of any help.
Turning to Tao Zhijie, standing by Xie Wanying’s side, his gentle eyes inspected their junior sister’s hands: her left hand holding the separation clamp and her right the suction tube, she seemed somewhat adept in the role of first assistant, consistent with her performance as mirror assistant before, nothing like a greenhorn.
Yet, the mirror assistant can simply follow the chief surgeon. The first assistant is different, they must fill in for the chief surgeon at critical moments. For instance, in the event of major bleeding when the chief surgeon is overwhelmed, the first assistant must step in to provide crucial assistance at the deadly moment.
Choosing a reliable and suitable first assistant has always been one of the chief surgeon’s foremost considerations when planning the feasibility of various surgeries.
It was understandable why Song Xueling kept looking towards the first assistant.
Is it possible to switch? Tao Zhijie and He Jiuliang had different thoughts, but the conclusion was: probably not.
Song Xueling’s surgical plan was unclear to Qiu Ruiyun, who passed it to He Jiuliang, and he too found it difficult to understand. Otherwise, there wouldn’t have been an instance where, shortly after the exploration began, He Jiuliang spoke up, firmly stating the surgery couldn’t be done. Xie Wanying insisted on standing with the chief surgeon’s camp.