Chapter 615: Chapter 259: The Hidden Submucosal Lymphoma, Stepping Out for a Multidisciplinary Consultation_3
Life is full of imperfections, eight or nine times out of ten. The development of a malignant tumor signifies that cancer has stealthily rooted and sprouted within the body. Under such circumstances, the most critical goal is to save the patient’s life.
Even if the scar left on the abdomen is severe, it is worthwhile.
“I really didn’t expect this. After so many tests, the patient’s illness was still not diagnosed. Having studied in the field of Digestive Internal Medicine and worked clinically for so many years, I’ve actually started to feel frightened. Even if I’m extremely cautious in my diagnoses, there’s still the possibility of oversight and misdiagnosis.”
This problem nearly happens to all seasoned doctors.
The more skilled a doctor is, and the richer their diagnostic experience, the more cautious they are when diagnosing patients. They tread on thin ice, fearing even the slightest error.
“Small intestine lymphoma is indeed a very difficult disease to detect. In future similar cases, if endoscopic examinations rule out upper gastrointestinal or colorectal bleeding, one could try doing a small bowel barium double-contrast study for patients. Another recent popular approach is the capsule endoscopy test, which could be used more frequently in clinical practice. If these methods still fail to identify the cause, there should be no hesitation — learn from Dr. Zhou and decisively perform an exploratory laparotomy on the patient.”
Deputy Director Mu shared his invaluable experience.
Although he is a surgeon, his diagnostic abilities are in no way inferior to those of Internal Medicine doctors.
So, there are no absolutes in the world.
Assertions that Internal Medicine doctors are necessarily strong in diagnosis and that surgeons are necessarily weak are irresponsible and random guesses.
The capsule endoscopy test is simple, non-invasive, and very cost-effective.
It’s quite common in some large hospitals.
On the other hand, hospitals or departments that only think about generating revenue seldom use this method.
After all, before a patient’s condition is diagnosed, doctors can legitimately ask the patient to undergo all sorts of tests. Once all the tests are done, the hospital can easily make a revenue of two to three thousand yuan.
As for whether the patient suffers terribly during the barium exam or if the invasive tests exacerbate the condition, the doctors don’t care about that.
The moment the patient was wheeled out of the operating room, the couple waiting outside rushed over immediately.
“Doctor, how’s my daughter’s condition?”
“The surgery went very smoothly. The small intestine lymphoma that was removed from the patient has been sent for pathological biopsy. The biopsy will clarify if the margins are clean, if there’s any spread, whether it has been completely removed, and the nature of the tumor. The results are usually available in twenty-four hours. When the results are in, I will arrange the next step of the treatment plan based on them,” Dr. Chi told the family.
“It really is a tumor! Thank you, Dr. Chi, thank you, Dr. Zhou!”
The girl’s father thanked the two doctors repeatedly.
“This is Deputy Director Mu, the chief surgeon for the patient,” Dr. Chi quickly introduced Deputy Director Mu to the family, knowing his personality.
“Thank you, Deputy Director Mu!”
Having a certain savvy, the girl’s father hurriedly thanked Deputy Director Mu.
“The surgery was mainly completed by Dr. Zhou, I was merely guiding a bit on the side. If you want to thank someone, you should really thank Dr. Zhou. The patient has just undergone surgery and might need to fast for about six hours. After that, she can have some liquid foods. Pay attention to the care of the abdominal wound; do not scrub it,” Deputy Director Mu, who was very busy, left hastily after giving a few instructions.
The family, learning that Zhou Can was mainly responsible for the surgery, felt an even greater level of gratitude towards him.
Back in Digestive Surgery, Zhou Can barely warmed his seat when Luo Jingyi, under Director Shang, came rushing over.
“Dr. Zhou, if you’re not busy right now, Director Shang is asking you to attend a consultation for a critical case in Vascular Internal Medicine.”
Luo Jingyi was just passing the message.
Calculating the time, Director Shang should be in the outpatient clinic at this moment.
Zhou Can, who was about to drink some water, quickly set off to assist in the outpatient clinic.
“I’m just a resident doctor in training, is it appropriate for Director Shang to ask me to attend a consultation in Vascular Internal Medicine?” Zhou Can had been performing outstandingly in Internal Medicine recently.
Especially in the diagnosis of various cases, he had already gained Director Shang’s appreciation and high regard.
Or to put it another way, whether they are chief physicians, deputy chief physicians, attending physicians, or resident doctors of Internal Medicine, all have highly recognized Zhou Can’s diagnostic ability.
“Director Shang has already predicted your hesitation. He asked me to tell you that you will represent him in the consultation at Vascular Internal Medicine. The boss also said your level is not inferior to his; you must be confident and not diminish his reputation,” Luo Jingyi conveyed the substantial trust.
This trust was indeed weighty.
Zhou Can was elevated to an unprecedented level by Director Shang.
It was also his first time officially stepping out of his department in a special capacity to participate in consultations in other departments.