Surgery Godfather

Chapter 121: Chapter 0118: Caught on the Scene

At noon, Yang Ping was resting in the duty room.

With the points he had accumulated from individual assignments and daily tasks within the system, amounting to an existing total of 21,000, he had spent 6,000 to purchase 600 cases of knee arthroscopy, leaving him with a balance of 15,000 points.

The procedures included arthroscopic examination, joint cleansing, synovial resection, partial meniscectomy, suturing of the meniscus, anterior and posterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, cartilage transplantation, and more, covering almost every type of knee arthroscopic surgery.

Such intense training might seem tedious and challenging to most people, but for Yang Ping, it was quite the opposite. He had a voracious appetite for learning medicine, so far from finding the training arduous, he reaped significant benefits from it. He often wished he had more points to purchase more surgical cases.

After completing the system’s training, he found it strange that since returning from Nanqiao, the system had ceased to assign tasks, staying silent like a suddenly silenced bell.

He logged into the system to find out the reason and opened the mission log, where a simple and clear task list was displayed.

It precisely recorded all his surgeries, including the one for the patient with knee osmotic periarthritis which was still pending, but it was already partially completed.

Has the system gone into silent mode, emitting no more “dings?”

Or does it no longer assign single tasks, only issuing progressive tasks now?

Progressive tasks, such as helping G city establish the strongest Orthopedics department, which includes many daily tasks?

Yang Ping analyzed it this way, even though he wasn’t sure if he was right. If he was, then would each surgery he performed be considered a task?

When he opened the treasure chest, there was an additional antique-looking golden box. However, it didn’t sparkle. Yang Ping wanted to open it but couldn’t figure out how.

Checking the system log, he found that this box was a random gift pack given for accomplishing the five-section replantation task. He hadn’t noticed it before, but now he couldn’t open it. Had it expired?

In the afternoon, with not many patients around, Director Han asked everyone to practice arthroscopy.

It was rare for Director Han to have such leisure time, so he deliberately put aside his work on the first day of the department’s operation.

Song Zimo organized these training activities for young doctors. Not only was he exceptionally skilled at microscope surgery, but his arthroscopy skills were also exemplary.

A long time ago, he was able to suture under the arthroscope, an incredibly difficult operation. As for surgery, under the guidance of Director Han, he had become very proficient.

Song Zimo wasn’t sure about the level of Yang Ping’s arthroscopy skills.

Facing something previously unseen but highly anticipated, expectations naturally run high.

He knew Yang Ping was like a rapidly growing mountain, its peak veiled in clouds. One could never tell just how high it was. A natural desire to challenge lingered in his heart.

Director Han picked up his purple clay cup and moved a chair into the laboratory.

This laboratory was similar to the Trauma Orthopedics department; it was also a training room with several pieces of training equipment borrowed from the Orthopedics department.

“Song Zimo, demonstrate the training under the arthroscope for everyone. Yang Ping will supplement you later.”

As he took the lid off the cup, steam rose from the hot tea.

There was only one simulator for practicing arthroscopy. He walked over to it and placed a fresh grape in the black box.

Holding the lens in one hand and equipment in the other, they were like a pair of chopsticks extending into the dark box through a 0.5cm hole.

The inside of the black box was transmitted in real-time onto the screen. A grape appeared in the center of the screen’s field of vision. The arthroscopic scissors cut a small hole in the grape skin.

Without another tool to help, peeling the grape with one hand was extremely difficult because there wasn’t another instrument to keep the grape steady. A slight movement could lead the grape to shift in place.

Not to mention that this was happening under an arthroscope, even presented with a pair of small scissors, peeling off the entire skin of a grape with one hand is a feat not many people could accomplish, even with training.

The scissors did not push the grape away. When the grape swayed slightly, the scissors cut into the skin and began to separate. Bit by bit, every time they cut a little, they separated a little, alternating repeatedly. The cut in the grape skin revealed a slight serrated shape. The grape swirled around with the touch of the scissors, the cut side and the attached bottom switched places; they continued until the whole grape skin was open. The scissors kept moving until the entire grape skin was neatly peeled off.

The room erupted in applause. However, Song Zimo wasn’t as proud as he usually was; he was very sober. He was only the first to throw a brick, another piece of jade was waiting.

“Yang Ping, show some skills!” Director Han took a light sip of tea.

Yang Ping approached the simulator. He had never practiced this kind of exercise within the system; he had only done actual experimental body surgeries, but the same principle applied.

Like a sniper who returns to the shooting range after enduring the brutal baptism of the battlefield, his skills wouldn’t regress.

He extended the tool into the black box; his eyes fixed on the screen, and his movements were extraordinarily flexible and steady. His field of vision fixed, and the arthroscopic scissors gently cut open the grape skin. The grape shook only slightly, much less than when Song Zimo was handling it.

Bit by bit, the grape was sliced open. As it was being cut open, the grape turned around a fixed axis until the entire circle was cut apart. The scissors split apart, and the peeled grape flesh tumbled out. The edges of the cut skin were neat, even more, beautiful than Song Zimo’s serrated cuts.

A blow? Not at all!

Song Zimo had already opened up a thought process. If one has a challenging goal, they could reach a higher realm. Just like in chess, the stronger your sparring partners are, the quicker you progress. Having Yang Ping as a peer was the greatest fortune for him.

Steam was still rising from Director Han’s purple clay cup, and two rounds of demonstrations had already ended.

He chuckled. Microscopic surgery and endoscopic surgery have the longest growth curve. If they are already so skilled, what is there to worry about?

Director Han left the laboratory and went to the institute upstairs, the real driving force for the orthopedic department’s growth.

Once the scale has expanded to a certain level, the contest came down to research and academic performance.

He sat alone in his office drinking tea quietly.

Yang Ping handed the task of training junior doctors to Song Zimo and returned to his office. He began scrolling through the examination reports of the patients scheduled for surgery the next day, carefully examining each one.

“I’ve assessed it, and there should be no problem with anesthesia tomorrow. The patient should start fasting tonight,” Liang Fatty announced as he came out of the ward.

Now with their dedicated operating room, the efficiency was greatly improved. Moreover, having anesthesiologists assess patients in advance made the process safer and more efficient.

Worried about potential hitches in the newly established procedure, Xiao Su checked the readiness of the instruments.

The patient’s daughter arrived. Noting that her mother was the only patient across the entire floor of the department, she felt a sense of panic.

As if, when going out to eat, seeing the front of the restaurant without many cars and the inside empty with unoccupied tables, one would feel reluctant to step in.

If it weren’t for the fact that Sanbo Hospital is a provincial-level hospital, she would have immediately taken her mother elsewhere.

To be cautious, before meeting the doctor, she made a phone call to a friend who studied medicine.

Her friend said that Sanbo Hospital’s Orthopedics department was divided into four wards, all located in the surgical building and didn’t have a standalone comprehensive orthopedics department.

Now her worry wasn’t really faltering, but it was fluctuating awkwardly. Since she came here, she decided to at least meet them before deciding anything further.

Little Five led the patient’s daughter to the meeting room.

Doctor Yang suggested politely, “Please have a seat. I’m Doctor Yang. Doctor Lu has already discussed your mother’s condition with you. Are there any other issues you’re concerned about?”

This young is the head of the department?

Considering multiple factors, she came to a conclusion: Is this place a leased department within a hospital? The more she thought about it, the more concerned she became!

“This department belongs to Sanbo hospital, right?” the patient’s daughter asked uncertainly.

Startled for a moment, Yang Ping quickly realized her concern, “Our department branched from the Orthopedics department, it’s a newly opened wing. We just started today, and your mother is our first patient. Don’t worry, our director is the head of the main Orthopedics department, I’m sure you’ve seen his introduction on the wall.”

“I heard that after tomorrow’s surgery, she will be discharged the day after?” the patient’s daughter had never heard of such speed, she thought the doctor must be bragging.

“From now on, patients like her will be discharged within 24 hours. This is a safe and efficient model, and 80% of surgeries in developed countries in Europe and America operate in this way,” Yang Ping explained.

“Doctors in those Western countries are very skilled!” the patient’s daughter responded quite directly.

“The clinical practice skills of our country’s doctors are not inferior to theirs at all. We have a lot of patients, and hence, a lot of experience. What we lack are research abilities and contributions to medical science,” Yang Ping thought it was necessary to clarify this misconception. Courtesy is important, but dignity must be maintained.

As long as this was not a leased department, it wasn’t much of an issue. However, she decided to be cautious since surgery is a serious matter.

The patient’s daughter said, “I’ll discuss it further with my grandmother, and I’ll come back later to sign the consent.”

“You can find Doctor Lu afterward to sign the consent,” Yang Ping knew she was hesitant.

It’s normal to have this lack of trust on the first day of establishment.

Back in the ward, the patient’s daughter sent a WeChat message to her friend who studied medicine: Do you have any friends at Sanbo? Can you help me check how good Doctor Yang Ping is at performing surgeries?

It didn’t matter if she had friends working at Sanbo, as someone could be found after a few transfers. After about ten minutes, a message replied: “Dr. Yang Ping of Sanbo’s Orthopedics department, the pioneer of five-segment replantation, his surgeries are — thumbs up!”

Relieved, the patient’s daughter immediately went back to the doctor’s office, “Doctor Lu, my grandmother agrees. Can I sign the consent now?”

Everyone was quite happy on the first day. Preparing for this patient’s surgery, they could relax a little.

With a few standardized training students on duty, Zhang Lin and Xiaowu could also take a breather.

“Little Five, Fatty, let’s have a meeting,” Zhang Lin called them over.

A few of them went to the on-call room, closed the door, and it was unclear what they were up to inside.

Suddenly, inside the office, all the standardized training students straightened up. Yang Ping looked to see Professor Zhang Zongshun standing at the entrance.

“Professor Zhang!” Yang Ping immediately went over to help him.

He didn’t even bring his crutch. He deliberately walked a few steps, “I’m recovering quite well. It’s almost been three months, time for a check-up, right?”

“There’s one week left. I’ll call you at that time. Please sit down, Professor Zhang,” Yang Ping arranged a chair for him.

“No need, I want to walk. Otherwise, my muscles will atrophy, and I will be prone to disuse osteoporosis. It’s better to walk more,” Professor Zhang insisted on wandering around himself.

“I reviewed your follow-up x-ray taken one and a half months later, your bone fracture is healing quite well,” Yang Ping accompanied him out of the office.

“Hmm, I just want to see how your new department is doing. You continue with your work, I’ll just wander by myself,” Professor Zhang said.

Professor Zhang walked around with his hands behind his back, sometimes peeking inside empty wards, occasionally looking up at the posters on the wall, and sometimes rubbing the floor with his foot, inspecting the place just like a project manager checks the status of a construction project.

Hmm, the male doctor’s on-duty room, I’ll take a look.

Professor Zhang pushed the door open.

Little Five glanced at a person from the corner of his eye, took a closer look, and was stunned, it was Professor Zhang!

Standing behind Zhang Lin and peering in without saying a word, Little Five didn’t know when Professor Zhang had entered.

Noticing Little Five paused, staring at him, Zhang Lin became annoyed: “Are you stupid? Why are you staring at me? Shoot, let’s rush out together!”

Fatty was also sitting opposite Zhang Lin. They were sitting in a triangle on the bed, with Zhang Lin’s back facing the door, and Little Five and Fatty facing the door.

It’s Professor Zhang! Fatty also saw him, so shocked he was dumbfounded, nearly shouting out loud.

They were in such deep shit, it’s as if they had sunk into the bottom of the Pacific.

Both men were secretly cursing their bad luck.