(Thanks to book friends 20170504093841698 and Feng? for their monthly ticket encouragement)
"Ah…, I just find being a doctor now is really exhausting. If only technology would advance a bit more, we could get a machine, and any patient who goes into it could be diagnosed with whatever issue they might have," Wang Huan complained listlessly.
"Haha, if it were as you said, we would certainly be at ease. In our emergency surgery department, we're a bit better off; at least we can often take action first and then supplement the records. The internal medicine department doesn't have that luxury; they have to follow every procedural step," Liu Banxia said with a laugh.
"Not following the procedure is just asking for trouble. After all, patients can sue us if anything goes wrong. If there are too many complaints and lawsuits, we won't be able to continue practicing medicine," Wang Huan grumbled.
"Alright, there's nothing urgent. Let's go grab something to eat first. Most patients are understanding; those who aren't are, after all, in the minority," Liu Banxia comforted.
He also felt helpless; such situations were all too common. To minimize conflicts, he could only patiently explain and be as cautious as possible. Take working in the emergency department, for instance; there wasn't a single doctor or nurse who hadn't been complained about by patients. Liu Banxia had experienced it too. If you were in this profession, it was inevitable.
After lunch, Liu Banxia took a short rest, informed the emergency department, and headed straight to the operating room with Liang Xiaolin.
There was still over half an hour before the surgery would officially begin. His habit was to arrive early and coordinate thoroughly with the anesthesiology team.
"Banxia, it's a big day today. Make sure to give a good performance," Wang Lei said with a laugh, seeing Liu Banxia enter the operating room.
"Old Wang, I didn't expect you to be here. Do you know anything about the patient's situation?" Liu Banxia asked.
Wang Lei shook his head. "The medical records haven't been brought over yet. I have no idea what the hospital administration is thinking. They probably want us to see the patient first. They likely wanted to simulate the situation of admitting and operating on an emergency patient as closely as possible; otherwise, I wouldn't be here preparing in advance."
"Doctors who don't have anything scheduled this afternoon are already finding seats in the viewing gallery. A small-incision appendectomy hasn't been performed in our Second Hospital before. You're the one doing the very first. Not bad."
"Are you praising me? You're making me feel completely unprepared," Liu Banxia said with a bitter smile.
Just as they were talking, a nurse led a patient in from outside. No wonder they had kept it a secret for so long; it turned out to be a twelve-year-old boy. The case report showed recurring chronic appendicitis, and now his parents didn't want their child to suffer any further.
Seeing so many masked faces, the boy was visibly scared but didn't want to show it, so he was putting on a brave face.
Wang Lei winked at Liu Banxia, signaling that this was about as routine as an appendectomy could get. The scans were also very clear; it was evident this case was specially prepared by the hospital for Liu Banxia to showcase his skills.
What Liu Banxia didn't know was that, as they were preparing, the procedure was being broadcast live to the hospital auditorium.
The audience consisted of this year's intern doctors who were about to start their residency program at the Second Hospital. Of course, this current batch was from Binhai Medical College.
Chen Zhenxing had indeed prepared a great deal for today's teaching surgery.
"The surgeon operating today is Liu Banxia. He's a doctor at our Second Hospital who has just completed his residency. He's also your new fellow alumnus, and starting this year, he will be pursuing his postgraduate studies under Professor Zhou Shuwen," Chen Zhenxing said, picking up the microphone.
As Chen Zhenxing finished speaking, a murmur went through the crowd below. His words implied that Liu Banxia only held a bachelor's degree, yet they had been told they would be witnessing a spectacular surgery today.
Chen Zhenxing didn't interrupt their discussion but instead sat down to one side. Even he was looking forward to watching closely.
"Liu Banxia, you've researched small-incision appendectomy. So, how long do you think the incision should be for this patient?"
The patient had just gone under anesthesia. Before Liu Banxia could even pick up the scalpel, Zhou Shuwen's voice echoed in the operating room, startling him.
Looking up, he saw Zhou Shuwen standing by the microphone in the observation room.
"Director, I believe one centimeter would suffice," Liu Banxia replied.
"To show off?" Zhou Shuwen asked coolly.
"Director, absolutely not. The child is so young, and his appendix isn't large yet. One centimeter is enough to insert a finger and the instruments; that's all that's needed. Moreover, the appendix isn't currently inflamed, so making the incision any longer would be wasteful," Liu Banxia hurriedly replied.
"Twenty minutes. Is that enough?" Zhou Shuwen added.
"Does that include closing the abdomen?" Liu Banxia paused to think.
"Yes, including that. Start the clock," Zhou Shuwen said, and then the microphone clicked off.
The conversation was simple, but its implications resonated differently with everyone listening.
Those who had seen Liu Banxia operate before felt the time limit was tight, but believed that if he pushed himself, he could probably manage it. Even if it exceeded twenty minutes, for a small-incision appendectomy, it would still be understandable.
However, for those seeing him operate for the first time, especially the students from Binhai Medical College, their interpretation was different. They wondered: if a standard appendectomy often couldn't be completed in twenty minutes, how could he possibly finish a more difficult small-incision procedure so quickly?
"Doctor Liang, I'll need your best cooperation in a bit. If we pull this off, I'll reward you with a chicken leg."
Just when these students were still discussing how ridiculous this situation was, Liu Banxia on the screen spoke up again.
Liang Xiaolin felt quite exasperated. Was she a child? To be bought off with just a chicken leg?
However, Liu Banxia didn't dare waste any more time either. He had never attempted this procedure within such a tight time limit before, and he was determined to make his professor proud.
It had to be said that Liang Xiaolin had developed excellent rapport with Liu Banxia from working alongside him for so long. In fact, she was also very quick with her hands, and her understanding of various surgical procedures was quite good. Her only shortcoming was her tendency to hesitate when she was the one primarily responsible for an operation.
"Liu Banxia, how do you choose between a small incision, a conventional incision, and laparoscopy? How do you determine the length of the incision?"
Liu Banxia was still separating the subcutaneous tissue when Zhou Shuwen's voice rang out again.
"It depends on the patient. We choose based on what the patient needs," Liu Banxia replied.
"Be more specific," Zhou Shuwen said.
"In cases where the patient hasn't made a specific request, the choice is based on their actual condition. For instance, if I suspect the appendix is likely to suppurate and rupture, I would opt for a conventional incision," Liu Banxia explained.
"The purpose of surgery is to help the patient overcome their illness; it's a necessary medical intervention. The choice of method has nothing to do with the doctor's personal preference; it's purely about serving the patient's best interests."
"Each surgical approach has its pros and cons. In ambiguous cases, I would also opt for a conventional incision to avoid potentially needing to extend it or convert from laparoscopy to open surgery. Exploring the abdomen... no abnormalities. Locating the appendix... Ah, there you are, little one."
Whether they were in the operating room or the auditorium, many were stunned. How could he be so fast? He'd found the appendix already? And in such a short amount of time?