The Surgeon's Studio c1-799

by Black Ursa Prime

  Acknowledging the nurse's instructions, the woman hurried to Old Chief Physician Pan's office, knocked on the door and entered the room without waiting for a response.

  She was in such a hurry that her left shoulder accidentally and loudly smacked into the door frame.

  Paying no attention to the pain, she quickly asked, "Chief, my father…"

  Her breathing was ragged, and the words that managed to escape her mouth were sharp and cold. The rest of the sentence vanished into thin air, leaving it hanging and uncertain.

  "You must be Tang Guoqing's family, yes?" asked Old Chief Physician Pan.

  The woman nodded, trying but failing to speak. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she did so, marring her already ruined makeup even further.

  "Your father was sent here via ambulance. According to a witness, he had been strolling in Central Park and immediately collapsed after leaning heavily against a tree." Old Chief Physician Pan had already obtained all available information in a short time. That way, the family members would at least understand that the incident was self-induced rather than a direct result of external trauma or a traffic collision.

  "His blood pressure was very low at the time of arrival. His systolic pressure was 50mmHg and diastolic pressure was undetectable, which was why I've decided to send your father to the operating theater for emergency surgery. We're trying our best to save him now."

  Old Chief Physician Pan's honest and serious expression made the woman's heart sink instantly. Tears burst forth like water from a dam and streamed down her cheeks.

  "Now is not the time to cry." Old Chief Physician Pan immediately stopped her and said, "I want to explain the surgery to you. Although I've been given authorization to proceed with the surgery, I still have to talk to you about it."

  The woman nodded.

  "Are you the patient's daughter? Please show me anything that can prove your identity," asked Old Chief Physician Pan.

  The woman rummaged through her handbag and took out an exquisite card case that contained her identity card, work card and press pass, and the name Tang Xiu registered with him.

  "Lead editor in a newspaper office?" Old Chief Physician Pan nodded and began explaining the surgery to her.

  Tears of fear blurred Tang Xiu's vision.

  Her entire world was rendered in grey after Old Chief Physician Pan finished his explanation.

  The patient's condition was extremely serious and his chance of survival was only ten percent, perhaps lower.

  Even if he was successfully pulled back from the brink of death, his chance of recovery in the ICU remained low as well.

  When she had first read through Wei Feng's article, she had also agreed that the hospital should not perform surgery in the absence of patients' family.

  Were it not for the fact that she had received tremendous pressure that coerced her to change her mind, she would certainly have published Wei Feng's article to correct such "unethical trends" in the medical world.

  Now that Tang Xiu was going through the same situation herself, all she could feel was confusion and despair.

  "Since emergency care was given in a timely manner, there is still hope. I'll take you to the operating theater now. You'll wait outside and inform your family in the meantime," Old Chief Physician Pan consoled her.

  Timely manner? Tang Xiu was grateful to the kind-hearted citizen that had taken prompt action instead of turning a blind eye. Although they had let her father remain on the ground, they had also at least called 120 on time.

  The doctors in Sea City General Hospital had begun the rescue even in the family members' absence.

  This undoubtedly reduced further blood loss and increased her father's chance of survival.

  Her logic told her that her father would have departed this life if the doctors had had to wait for her arrival.

  This was contrary to her initial beliefs, but…

  At this moment, she completely forgot that family had the fundamental right to be informed and decide.

  It was extremely difficult for people to feel empathy without experiencing the same situation themselves.

  The difference in perspective between onlookers and family members was worlds apart, so huge that it was beyond Tang Xiu's imagination.

  She absent-mindedly followed Old Chief Physician Pan. Her ability to think was completely lost.

  Her father had been fine all day, but how had he ended up in Sea City General Hospital with a life-threatening condition? Disasters really could strike at any time.

  'Tomorrow may never come.'

  She was scared that, upon her arrival at the operating theater, the surgeon would come out and apologize, saying they had tried their best.

  She was scared of seeing a stretcher trolley covered in a white sheet with her father's pale, cold face underneath it.

  She was scared that her father would suddenly draw his last breath, and she would not be able to bid her last farewell.

  She was scared that ill-intentioned fate would make her nightmares come true

  She was scared…

  Chapter 138 - You Should Work On A Higher, Wider Platform

  Old Chief Physician Pan and Tang Xiu had just arrived outside the operating theater, but before she could call her family, the doors of the operating theater flung open and a stretcher trolley was wheeled out from inside.

  Tang Xiu was stunned. There was no white sheet on it.

  Her father's greyish-white hair accentuated his ashen-grey complexion, which made him look like he had met his end.

  On the stretcher trolley sat a girl in a blue surgical gown. Her posture was awkward as she repeatedly squeezed the self-inflating bag to provide positive pressure ventilation.

  The medical field was alien to Tang Xiu, but a knowledgeable person like her vaguely knew that the self-inflating bag was a type of artificial ventilation, a method to deliver oxygen to her father.

  Sorrow instantly consumed her heart.

  Tears started pouring from her eyes in a seemingly endless flow.

  'He is dead… The surgery failed…' Countless negative thoughts popped into her mind.

  A chill went down her spine. The world turned into a blur.

  Tang Xiu held onto the stretcher trolley and cried.

  It was a silent wail.

  However, everyone on the scene could detect the grief and pain in her broken heart.

  Chu Yanran sat curled atop one corner of the stretcher trolley and focused on compressing the self-inflating bag; Su Yun pushed the trolley from the back and Zheng Ren steered in front.

  Like a driver slamming on the brakes, Tang Xiu slowed the stretcher trolley down and Chu Yanran nearly toppled off it.

  Zheng Ren, who was standing lateral to the head end of the trolley, quickly broke Chu Yanran's fall and rebuked Tang Xiu angrily, "Who the hell are you?!"

  Old Chief Physician Pan quickly yanked the latter away and said, "Don't interfere with the rescue. He isn't dead."

  Not dead? She failed to understand this simple phrase even as she was being pulled away by Old Chief Physician Pan.

  Her mind had gone blank.

  It seemed to be good news or even sympathy from the doctor, but she could not contain her overwhelming grief and continued to cry silently.

  "She's the patient's family member," said Old Chief Physician Pan to Zheng Ren.

  "Are you alright?" asked Zheng Ren out of concern, relieved only after Chu Yanran shook her head and narrowed her eyes as if smiling at him.

  The stretcher trolley was pushed into the hospital bed elevator once its doors slid open.

  "Chief Physician Pan, ask her to wait for me here. I'll speak with her after sending the patient to the ICU." Zheng Ren's voice traveled past the slowly closing elevator doors.

  Old Chief Physician Pan had seen numerous ups and downs throughout his life, so naturally, Tang Xiu's dejection was not alien to him.

  However, he made no attempt to console the woman. After all, any words of comfort would be
pointless when she was emotionally unstable right now.

  More importantly, how would he comfort her when he had no idea if the surgery had been successful? It was better to steer clear of careless statements and irresponsible remarks in the medical field.

  The muffled sobs coupled with the howling wind outside the window created a ghastly atmosphere in the spacious but empty hall outside the operating theater on the third floor.

  Even so, Old Chief Physician Pan, a war veteran, remained unbothered.

  Strong positive energy could drive all evil spirits away.

  He recalled the moment just now and combed his memory for details. From Zheng Ren's expression and mannerisms, the surgery was likely successful.

  This chief resident was really good.

  The emergency department had received three to five similar cases this month, and each of them had been successfully resolved.

  This time, there should be no problem as well.

  Old Chief Physician Pan slowly paced around the hall with his hands behind his back, wondering if he had missed any details during his own explanation just now.

  It would be inexcusable to be a hindrance to a competent man such as Zheng Ren.

  More than ten minutes later, Zheng Ren came up via the fire escape with Chu Yanran in tow. Su Yun was nowhere to be seen.

  "Zheng Ren, you've returned." Old Chief Physician Pan made a subtle gesture.

  Zheng Ren acknowledged the hint, nodded and whispered, "Very successful."

  Finally, it was a weight off his mind.

  Tang Xiu assumed a fetal position on the ground, her shoulders trembling with every sob.

  "Are you the patient's family member?" Zheng Ren stood in front of her and asked.

  Tang Xiu did not seem to hear him at all and continued sobbing on the ground.

  Zheng Ren asked a few more times, but Tang Xiu remained unresponsive as if her brain had been fried. Left with no choice, he took out his phone. "Are you busy?"

  "Come to the operating theater.

  "Yes, a family member is too deeply in grief for communication.

  "Yes, that's right. Once you arrive, I'll sort out the angiographic footage. The surgery was a success, don't worry."

  Zheng Ren hung up and said to Old Chief Physician Pan, "Let Chang Yue communicate with her."

  Old Chief Physician Pan, who was fully aware of Chang Yue's superb communication skills, knew Zheng Ren's decision was logical and did not mind him taking the initiative. He then asked with a smile, "How did you perform the surgery?"

  Zheng Ren patted Chu Yanran's shoulder and signalled her to leave first while they waited for Chang Yue's arrival. After that, he replied calmly, "He had a traumatic rupture of a hepatic hemangioma. I've injected an embolization coil after locating the bleeding artery."

  "That's it?"

  "It gets more complicated," Zheng Ren explained, "The artery was relatively thick, and its lumen couldn't be fully closed with an embolization coil alone, so I used four absorbable gelatin sponges to complete the task."

  Zheng Ren's explanation sounded dull and uninteresting, but Old Chief Physician Pan could imagine the intense tension and caution needed to perform the surgery against the clock.

  "How is the patient now?" asked Old Chief Physician Pan.

  "His systolic pressure has reached 80mmHg and diastolic pressure was detectable upon his arrival at the ICU. His heart rate has reduced as well, so I think hemorrhagic shock is under control by now," Zheng Ren reported, "I'm still worried, so I've asked Su Yun to watch over him for the time being. If everything goes well, he can be extubated tomorrow and discharged from the ICU."

  "Good." Content, Old Chief Physician Pan gave Zheng Ren a kind and proud gaze.

  They chatted for a while until they finally saw Chang Yue approaching at full speed.

  After assigning Chang Yue her tasks, Zheng Ren and Old Chief Physician Pan entered the operating theater.

  In the operator's console room, Zheng Ren explained the surgical process to Old Chief Physician Pan while editing the angiographic footage.

  Old Chief Physician Pan's thirst for knowledge greatly surprised Zheng Ren.

  He was almost seventy years old. Even though he was still physically strong with flawless eyesight and hearing, not to mention the ability to walk like the wind, it was impossible for him to involve himself in interventional radiology.

  There was no way he could perform interventional radiology-assisted surgery in this lifetime.

  Was there any point in him learning interventional radiology, then? Zheng Ren had no idea and could not be bothered to think about it. Perhaps the old man was curious, or maybe he wanted to master a new clinical skill that could come in handy during certain emergency situations.

  Regardless of what Old Chief Physician Pan had in mind, Zheng Ren would still satisfy his simple request—an explanation of the surgical procedure.

  Having seen the process, especially from the shocking bloom of the "smoky flower" until its complete dissipation, Old Chief Physician Pan was convinced of the surgery's success.

  Although he had not personally performed it, he had read through related articles and understood the fundamental principles and difficulties behind its manipulation.

  The words sounded simple and the surgery seemed straightforward, but Old Chief Physician Pan knew that all potential difficulties had been overcome with Zheng Ren's expertise.

  If the surgeon had been someone else, the patient could have died from blood loss before the responsible artery was located.

  An idea suddenly emerged in Old Chief Physician Pan's mind as he quietly watched Zheng Ren editing the angiographic footage.

  "You should involve yourself in scientific research in Imperial Capital. I'll call Professor Pei in my free time."

  "Huh?" Zheng Ren turned his head and looked doubtfully at Old Chief Physician Pan.

  "You should take your skills to the next level. It'd be a waste of talent if you stay in Sea City."

  Chapter 139 - The “Lucky” Escape

  After the angiographic footage was edited, Zheng Ren and Old Chief Physician Pan walked out of the operating theater.

  Chang Yue and Tang Xiu were nowhere to be seen; they were presumably in the emergency ward right now. Amazed, Zheng Ren complimented Chang Yue internally for her superb communication skills.

  The family member's emotions had gone out of control, and yet Chang Yue had been able to calm the woman down within twenty minutes. Her abilities were simply amazing.

  Zheng Ren returned to the emergency ward after bidding goodbye to Old Chief Physician Pan.

  He entered the office and saw Chang Yue trying her very best to comfort Tang Xiu.

  Tang Xiu was wiping the tears that had ruined her makeup with the tissues Chang Yue provided.

  "Chief Zheng, you're back," said Chang Yue immediately after seeing Zheng Ren.

  "Yes. You're the patient's family member? What's your name?" he asked.

  "..." Tang Xiu was momentarily stunned, but she quickly regained her composure and replied, "Hello, Doctor Zheng. I'm Tang Xiu, the daughter of the patient you've just rescued."

  She stood up and politely extended her hand.

  Zheng Ren gently shook it and felt cold moisture on her palm.

  "Please sit down. I'll explain the patient's condition to you, then we'll go to the ICU together, but you can't enter the ward so you won't be able to visit your father today. If everything goes well, you can visit him tomorrow," said Zheng Ren as he flipped on his computer and brought up the angiographic footage that he had just edited.

  Everything from the cause of disease to the patient's condition at the time of onset, and finally to the emergency resuscitation and surgery, was explained in a concise manner.

  Tang Xiu, whose emotions had stabilized, started shuddering from anxiety again.

  According to Zheng Ren, her father had had a ruptured hepatic hemangioma leading to profuse bleeding from a blood vessel only a few millimeters thick. If h
e had been admitted a minute too late, he definitely would have passed away.

  Zheng Ren explained the details clearly with his footage so that Tang Xiu could understand it better.

  The widespread smoke was like the dissipation of life energy, and the last angiographic image revealed that the deadly smoke had finally disappeared. The whole process seemed simple, but the shock and fear in her heart was indescribable.

  Tang Xiu could hear the sound of her heart throbbing against her ribcage for over ten seconds of stunned silence.

  The beatings were so intense,

  As if in the next second,

  Her heart would burst through her c.h.e.s.t.

  Tang Xiu forced herself to calm down before she stood up and deeply bowed to Zheng Ren.

  "Thank you, Doctor Zheng," she intoned.

  "You're welcome." Zheng Ren waved his hand and said, "The patient isn't out of danger yet. You can thank me when he is discharged from the hospital."

  "I would never have had the chance to thank you if you hadn't acted in a timely manner." A complicated feeling gnawed at her heart.

  She once again recalled the article written by Wei Feng not long ago.

  That was a memory that she tried but failed to wipe away.

  There came a certain moment in life when every human had to face their true self.

  If her superiors had not ordered her to blackmail the reporter with evidence, she would have happily published the article on the front page.

  One learned to empathize only after being in another's shoes.

  Had Tang Xiu had been given a second chance, she would definitely have smashed the article right into Wei Feng's face.

  Her initial excitement upon first reading the article, the despair upon hearing the horrifying news and the joy after escaping the nightmare… Inside her heart was a chaotic mess of emotions.

  "Let's go to the ICU." Zheng Ren walked out of the office.

  Tang Xiu quickly caught up with him and asked, "Doctor Zheng, does my father have a high chance of recovery?"

  "Yes," Zheng Ren answered confidently, "However, lots of red blood cells and plasma have been infused due to massive hemorrhaging, so complications such as DIC may arise. Please wait outside, I'll check on the patient."