Chapter 845: [(845)] Double Effort Chapter 845: [(845)] Double Effort Repeated and excessive clamping and traction are therefore inadvisable. Other stationary techniques must be employed, such as pushing, pressing, or rotating. It’s like practicing Tai Chi–leveraging the natural movement of the patient’s own organs to manipulate them without causing harm.
The doctor’s profound understanding of the patient’s anatomy was put to the test once again.
Constrained by the peculiarities inside the patient’s abdominal cavity, He Jiuliang, who held the laparoscopic camera, could not perform an initial exploratory procedure and had to follow behind the Chief Surgeon and the First Assistant.
Unexpectedly, the Chief Surgeon’s situation was not much better than his. He too was dependent on the First Assistant to clear a path through the internal jungle of the patient’s body.
The surgery seemed to grow more difficult. He Jiuliang felt somewhat anxious, but upon looking back, he saw Tao Zhijie remaining very calm.
Pancreatic surgery is already among the most challenging. The pancreas is deeply located, hidden behind various organs, and difficult to access even with open surgery, let alone laparoscopy. Today’s surgery, for example, has rarely been successfully performed domestically. It was also the first attempt for the doctors at Guoxie–to remove metastatic peritoneum, increasing the difficulty beyond a mere spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomy. He Jiuliang did not understand where Tao Zhijie found his confidence in these two individuals.
During the operation, it became evident that the splenic artery and vein were indeed fused tightly to the retroperitoneum.
The First Assistant’s separation clamp and the Chief Surgeon’s knife meticulously peeled away layer by layer, with utmost caution. They then reached the pivotal portion at the tail of the pancreas. The artery to the pancreatic tail branches from the splenic artery, showcasing the close and intimate connection between them.
Here, the pancreatic tail and the splenic artery were almost adhesively bound together, complicating matters even further.
The Chief Surgeon’s ultrasonic scalpel hesitated for a moment in situ.
It was no good. To tear it by force would inevitably lead to damage. Using the ultrasonic scalpel was akin to cutting blood vessels. Would the electric scissors work? It seemed unlikely. He Jiuliang pondered these thoughts in his mind.
While he racked his brain for a solution, the Chief Surgeon’s ultrasonic scalpel and the First Assistant’s separation clamp acted in unison, startling those present. Such an operation required highly coordinated teamwork–could these two manage it? Moreover, how did they intend to separate with these two instruments?
The separation clamp gently gripped, and though it was light, the inseparable adhesion meant that some tearing and minor bleeding were inevitable. The ultrasonic scalpel immediately followed with electrocoagulation for hemostasis.
As they watched, He Jiuliang and Tao Zhijie began to see in a new light: This duo was oddly well-matched. For their first official collaboration to be on this level was quite extraordinary.
The surgery continued. The two seemed to become more accustomed to working together, as the procedure appeared smoother. After all, clamping causes less traumatic injury than sharp cutting.
The time had come to ligate the pancreatic tail artery. The suture was introduced amongst some adhesions. Decisively, the First Assistant used a jet of water to clear it.
Other doctors and nurses stared at the monitor, transfixed, likely finding it more thrilling and entertaining than any movie–like watching a kaleidoscope.
A variety of separation techniques were performed. It was clear how versatile and adaptable the surgeons’ minds were–more aptly, the surgeons seemed to possess an intuitive understanding of the tissues and organs, knowing exactly where to nudge or grasp for proper separation.
Most importantly, this was the result of the two doctors working in tandem. Just as a solo aerialist compared to a duo, the latter always promises a more complex and exhilarating performance.