Chapter 437: Chapter 402 350 kilometers Chapter 437: Chapter 402 350 kilometers Four surgeries were completed before noon, each surgery not exceeding an hour.
In order to avoid damaging the quadriceps, tourniquets weren’t used in any of the surgeries. Low pressure anesthesia was used to keep blood pressure below 90/60mmHg, and water pressure inside the knee joint was maintained at 120mmHg by a pump.
In this way, even without the use of tourniquets, a bloodless surgical field could be achieved.
The damage that a tourniquet can cause to the quadriceps may be a non-issue for the general population, but for professional athletes, it can greatly influence recovery time.
Maintaining 120mmHg pressure in the knee joint can easily cause interstitial edema if the doctor lacks experience. This could trigger compartment syndrome and lead to severe consequences.
With the surgeries over, the nurses, Linna and Jenny, both heaved a sigh of relief.
The surgeries’ speed put them under enormous pressure for fear of awkward scenes. Fortunately, with Robert’s help, there were no holdups due to delayed assistance from the nurses.
The most relaxed person was Barel. His only task was to hold the patient’s leg, and every time there was a need to change the patient’s position, Yang Ping would operate with a single hand and he would just assist.
As the glass shield lifted and retracted to the ceiling, Barel began setting up the braces for the patients.
Robert helped Yang Ping take off his surgical robe. Both the anesthesiologist and nurses complimented Yang Ping, saying the surgeries were impressive and it’s no wonder he was Robert’s mentor.
Inside the operating room’s teaching room, the doctors who watched the four arthroscopic surgeries realized they fell behind their previous understanding of multiple ligament reconstruction in the knee joint, despite having been at the top of their field.
Whether it was the proficient surgical technique or the novel curved drilling bit design, they were seeing them for the first time. They envied Robert for having such a great mentor.
Such an exquisite art!
This is how Professor Rongge summed it up: Adjusting the balance of the knee joint was just like the work of a sound engineer, achieving the best balance based on feeling.
After Robert prepared lunch, he planned to hold a Q&A session with multiple ligament reconstruction in the knee joint as the main topic. Everyone could ask Yang Ping questions to improve their understanding of this type of surgery.
The next day, an academic conference would be arranged where Yang Ping would lecture. Opportunities were rare considering Yang Ping’s infrequent visits to the United States.
Professor Rongge, engineers from OrthoPediatrics, and many other doctors were not willing to leave. They were waiting for Robert to introduce Dr. Yang Ping to everyone.
Impatient, Professor Rongge decided to go to the changing room to find Robert, hoping to speak to Yang Ping in advance.
The engineer swiftly reported back to his company, hoping that the company could either buy the patent of this curved drilling bit or obtain its authorization.
Before sending his designs to Robert, Yang Ping had already applied for both Chinese and international patents. They had passed the preliminary examination, and he had also applied for early publication.
This precaution legally protected his technical achievements. Otherwise, he would have been vulnerable to unscrupulous individuals or companies who might steal his technical achievements, make money from them, and even accuse the originator of infringement. There were countless such incidents.
When it comes to interests, anything can happen. Yang Ping wasn’t hoping to protect his work through the consciousness of others.
Even in the United States, a spine surgeon from Indiana, Dr. Rick Sasso, had a legal battle with Medtronic, a medical device company, over patent licensing fees for the Vertex Cervical System.
The case had dragged on for five years and went as high as the U.S. Supreme Court. The court finally ruled that Medtronic had to pay a patent fee of $112 million to Dr. Rick Sasso.
Therefore, regarding such matters, Yang Ping, like when he was performing surgery, did not wish for any chance of uncertainty.
The engineer astutely felt that this curved drilling bit and this complete set of instruments would become indispensable equipment in pediatric sports medicine. They could also be used in other surgeries. Alongside these, a complete instrument system could be built to dominate the field.
The company quickly responded, authorizing him to have initial discussions with Yang Ping about purchasing or licensing the patent, and the company would send its negotiation team as soon as possible.
Professor Rongge hoped to discuss issues of knee joint replacement with Yang Ping because he was designing a new type of knee joint prosthesis and encountered difficulties.
At the entrance of the changing room, Rongge gestured to Robert and whispered, “Robert, come over here.”
Seeing Rongge’s disapproving look, Robert got a gist of what he would say. He explained to Yang Ping and left him with Barel while he followed Rongge.
The two went to a small room next to the changing room and an raging Professor Rongge declared, “Robert, you have a lot of explaining to do. Why have you hidden your mentor, and did you go to China to learn?”
“Please hear me out, Rongge.”
“Such a selfish guy.” An angry Rongge responded.
Robert, ignoring Rongge’s rage, lowered his voice to continue.
“If it wasn’t for Dr. Yang Ping’s surgery that you saw today, would you believe me if I told you a few months ago to come to China with me, to learn from a young Chinese doctor? Would you believe me?”
Rongge fell silent for a moment, seemingly comprehending the reasonability of the explanation. If it wasn’t for what they witnessed today, he assuredly would have rejected Robert’s invitation to China with laughter.
“Do you know why I kept it to myself? Because none of you would believe it. I know you guys well, you are a bunch of stubborn rocks, full of arrogance and prejudice. Today, I invited him to demonstrate the surgeries and you have deeply admired him because you saw it with your own eyes. However, if it was a few months ago, you definitely would have said ‘Robert, you are crazy. You should see a psychiatrist.’ Right before the surgeries began, I’d bet you were expecting me to embarrass myself.” In speaking, Robert’s words overpowered Rongge’s anger.